Evan's Halloween Party

This past weekend, we hosted a small halloween party at our house - really just an excuse to dress up Evan in his costume. It was a lot of fun! The weather was perfect for the party. I made some spooktacular treats such as ghost sandwiches, mummy hot-dogs, and pumpkin cupcakes. We had a craft for the kids to do and then had them all go trick-or-treating in the backyard. Evan dressed up as Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch) this year. Overall, it was a lot of fun and Evan really enjoyed it. I also took him to a pumpkin patch to get some pumpkins before the party. I think his favorite part of the pumpkin patch was the wagon! So, here are some pictures of the events. I also posted a few videos on Facebook so check those out as well. Happy Halloween!

Evan, Matilda, and Avery

Evan and Avery



Evan at the pumpkin patch -yum!

Evan and the wagon of pumpkins

Trip to Washington D.C.

A few weeks ago (my birthday weekend actually), we flew to Virginia to visit our friends the Dolvigs! We hadn't been in a really long time and we knew that with baby #2 on the way, we wouldn't be traveling again for a really long time. So, we took a short weekend trip to see them and had a great time! They have a little girl, Camden, who is about 5 weeks older than Evan and they had fun playing together. Evan thought Camden had the best toys which meant Mommy had to buy some new ones when we got home.

It was a pretty short trip, but we managed to squeeze in a lot. We met Andrew for lunch on Friday, spent some time at the foam park (i.e. playground with the foam/rubber mats instead of wood chips) which tired them out, went to the National Zoo, went to the Smithsonian - Natural History, and went to Bull Run (Bryce's favorite). Here are some pics from our trip. That's our last trip until who knows when. Evan and I are going to Indy in November for one last time home and a baby shower for my friend Sarah Eli. After that, people will just have to come here to see the four of us!

Here are a bunch of pics from the trip. Enjoy!

Camden on the slide

Evan climbing the playground

Evan and Camden swinging

Evan pushing Camden on her cool toy

Evan and the Gorilla
Evan and Camden reading about the Gorillas
At the zoo - they got to pet goats and donkeys!
Family pic at the zoo
Andrew and Bryce and kids at the museum - we made our own little play area for them to run around.
Camden and Evan looking at all the gems
Evan and I in front of the Capital Building

Evan at Bull Run
Evan and Bryce with statue of Stonewall Jackson at Bull Run
Camden and Evan hanging out on a cannon

It's a....

Hey! We had our ultrasound a couple weeks ago, but I just haven't had a chance to get scans of the ultrasound pics. So, instead I've taken pictures of them with my digital camera. Thought I would upload a few here so you can see the newest Stacer. Everything was great at the anatomy ultrasound. It's always so neat to see the baby at that time. We saw the 4 chambers of the heart, the brain, the different organs, the facial bones, all the fingers and toes, and lots more. We also decided (well I decided) that we'd find out the sex of the baby. So, check out the photos below to see what we are having!






In case you couldn't tell from the pictures, it's a GIRL! Evan will have a little sister in less than 4 months! We have gotten a few clothes (thanks Grandma Stacer) but that's about all we've done so far. We have a lot to accomplish in these next couple months. Good thing we have to stay here for the holidays!

Just so Evan doesn't feel left out -> he's doing great! He loves to sit down in chairs, the couch, on pillows. He just thinks it's the greatest new thing. And, he has learned to crawl down the stairs backwards (thanks Camden for showing him how). Next blog, I'll post some pics from our DC trip.

Some Stacer Updates

Well, I haven't updated in awhile so thought I'd just write a quick blog entry (maybe attach a fun picture if I can find one).

Things are good here with us. The start of fall has really brought the cool weather, and it's been raining for like two days. I have to say though, everyone is enjoying the rain and break from the heat after a record hot summer and drought. I think most people are ready for fall.

In the world of Evan, he is too cute and so much fun. He got his MMR and chickenpox vaccines last week and was quite the trooper... only a brief second of crying. He's also become a drama queen now when he doesn't get what he wants. He just lays on the floor face down and cries for maybe 30 seconds and then it's off to something else. He loves anything he can push, especially things like vacuums or brooms. We bought him a plastic bat which he carries arounds and hits toys with (mostly balls but sometimes any little plastic piece will do).

He's started THE cutest thing... KISSES! I say, "Evan, can mommy have a kiss?" and point to my check. He leans in and gives me a big, wet kiss. I love it. He started doing it at bedtime because I always give him a couple kisses goodnight and one night, he just turned his head and gave me one. Now, he'll do them whenever but at nighttime, it's like he knows. As soon as I take him towards the crib, he starts kissing me (like multiple times). It melts my heart everytime.

We also did our last shoot with our photographer Kathy Whittaker. It's much harder now because Evan doesn't want to sit/stand still. Somehow though, we got some great shots. We did a family shot to mark his one year (only a few weeks late). You can check out the photos on her website: whittakerphotography.smugmug.com -> Baby Evan Session #1 2 3 & 4. If you need the password, just send me a note and I'll send it to you. Tell me which are your favorites since we have to choose 10!

Me, the pregnancy is going well. We had our anatomy ultrasound a few weeks ago and everything looked great! We decided to find out the sex of the baby. I'll post something next week with a picture so everyone can learn what we are having! Anyone who doesn't already know want to guess?

We are off to DC this weekend to visit our friends the Dolvigs! So excited to see the three of them and hang out. Unfortunately, it's just a quick trip since we just got back from Michigan and we couldn't fit it in another time before the new baby comes. Not sure what we'll do while we are there, but it doesn't matter much to us since we really just want to visit with them.

That's about it! Just wanted to give you an update. Evan is just getting so big so fast. Hard to believe he's almost 14 months and that he'll have a new sibling in just 4 months! I guess I haven't taken a lot of pics since our trip to Michigan so nothing new now, but I'll post some after our DC trip.

Love,
The Stacers

Trip to Michigan

We just got back from our trip to Michigan where we had a great time. Here's a short recap!
Evan was great on the plane (it helps to have 2 adults vs. 1 kid these days). On Friday, Bryce headed up to Bear Lake for the weekend to hang out and golf with his college buddies while Evan and I stayed in Midland at the Stacer Cottage. The weather those first couple days was a little rainy and cold. We did manage to go to the Midland Farmer's market though which was fun.

Monday, we got Evan's hair cut in Midland at this salon called Marcelo's (thanks to the Reeves for the recommendation). We also went with Ray and Betty to work so everyone there could meet Evan whom they'd heard so much about! Fortunately, the weather had turned and that day and the rest of the time there was gorgeous. We enjoyed the break from the record heat in Texas. We even took Evan for his first boat ride... I think at first, he wasn't quite sure due to the life jacket, but by the end of our trip, I think he enjoyed them.



Thursday, Evan and I drove to Frankenmuth where we met up with my college friend Sarah for lunch and shopping. It's a cute little german town! We ate at the Bavarian Inn, walked and shopped there, then headed to the biggest Christmas store in the world... Bronner's! And they aren't kidding. It's quite the store. I did buy a few ornaments but it was an experience. I mean, they hand you a map when you come in because it's so big. Overall, it was a great day and so fun to catch up with Sarah.

That night, we went to the Reeves for a delicious dinner. Evan had a lot of fun with their two girls. He loved being pulled around in the wagon... I think we'll have to get one of those now.

Friday, we spent the day in the Thumb of Michigan visiting Bryce's family. It was a lot of fun since this was the first time we'd been to Michigan since Evan was born. We saw Grandma Stacer, went to the family farm, and stopped by Aunt Pete's house.





My mom also drove up from Indy for the weekend which was so nice of her and the Stacers. Saturday, we went to the Amish festival in Clare. It was really fun! We all bought some things -> I got this thing called a baked potato bag?? Betty swears by them so we'll have to try it out soon.

Evan really enjoyed playing outside while we were there... I think because it's been so hot in Texas this summer, he just hasn't gotten the chance. He loved playing with the two little neighbor boys. The older, Ryan, was so sweet to Evan and wanted to show him everything. Evan would actually get upset when we had to bring him in from playing.



Overall, it was a great trip and we were sad to come home. But, hopefully we'll see everyone again soon!

Long Overdue Update

Sorry it's been so long since I last updated the blog. Things have been kind of crazy in our lives lately and this just didn't seem to make the list. But, I've got a free weekend and Evan is napping so I'll try and give an update.

First, I wanted to thank everyone for the cards and prayers during this difficult time. If you didn't know, my dad passed away suddenly on July 19th. It's been a really rough time for all of us, but we are doing okay. Thanks again for all the love and support for my entire family.

On a happier note, Bryce and I have some good news... Evan will be a big brother on Jan. 25th, 2010! A little unexpected this soon, but nonetheless, we are really excited. Here's the latest pic on me as I'm increasing rapidly in size it seems (this is about 17 weeks):

Last weekend was Evan's first birthday. We had an awesome time. My mom came down for the party which was on his actual birthday. Lots of friends and family and kiddos were there. We had a dog theme since it was his first word, and he just loves Sierra. There's a link to the Evan's First Birthday Party on the right sidebar which has lots of pics from the party. Here's some fun video of him digging into his cake for the very first time.

So, we have been busy getting ready for the party and getting back into a routine again. Evan had his one year appt. on Monday. He is perfectly healthy, weighing in at 22 lbs. 4 oz (he was sick the day before so I think he lost some weight since the week before he weighed 22 lbs. 8 oz.). He was 30 inches tall. Everything was pretty much in the 50%. He got one shot... they are out of chickenpox vaccine at the moment so that and the MMR we will get shortly. He is running around the house now these days. He has started on whole milk this week and also had eggs for the first time... all of which went great. Now he can eat pretty much everything except nuts and honey. Oh, and he mastered his first sign... MORE! No surprise there, but he does it beautifully.

We are going to Michigan on Aug. 27th for a long trip (through Sept 7th). So, anyone in Michigan who wants to get together, let me know! We'll be staying at the Stacer cottage on Wixom Lake outside of Midland. We haven't gotten to go since before Evan was born so it will be fun to see all the Stacer relatives. I know Grammy and Grampy Stacer are very excited for us to come. And Grammy Linda is going to drive up from Indy for Labor Day weekend so we'll have a great time!

Okay, that's probably a long enough post. I'll have to post some more video soon of Evan doing his "more" sign and also of him dancing. The Dolvigs sent us a fridge farm for his birthday and he loves to press it and dance... so cute!

Evan Walking Video

Evan walking around the house!