Nah!

This week, Evie developed a skill that is sometimes helpful, usually frustrating, and often funny. She discovered how to say "no" and practices this new skill at every available opportunity.
M: Evie, do you want a strawberry?
E: Naaaahhhh! (said while shaking head dramatically with mouth agape)
M: Evie, do you want some water?
E: Naaahhhhh!
M: Evie, do you want a delicious Back to Nature Peanut Butter Creme Cookie which offer a serving of vegetables with each bite*?
E: Naaaah!
M: Good, cause I ate 'em all.

She has been delighted with her ability to reject all forms of food and drink for the past few days, with the exception of some incredible Rice Krispie Treats given to us by our good friend Erin. I'm starting to doubt that it's simply coincidence that she stopped eating all other food after experiencing such a culinary delight. I think we can all relate. I know I've considered a pure Rice Krispie Treat diet on occasion. Or maybe she's just fed up with hearing her Nana discuss Under the Tuscan Sun as though it's non-fiction and this is her way of retaliating. I might join Evie in that crusade, because I'm not sure what I'll do if I hear one more account of how they just uncovered another layer of stone in the wall of their fabulous home in Cortona! And a boulder that was probably used in a gravesite at some point! FABULOUS! I've never read the book or seen the movie, but I am pretty sure I know the details of the story/fact-based novel better than the author herself.

Please, Nana. No more Under the Tuscan Sun.

My mom is here helping with Evie right now so I can get some work done. We are so lucky to have this option. I get to work some during the day and Matt and I get to go out at night. As much as I appreciate my mom's help, there's always a give and take. It seems to throw Evie off schedule, she sleeps poorly and she gets so whiney when she sees me. I hear a lot of ehmaaaahhmamamamamamaaaaaahhhhh throughout the day. For whatever reason, this sound makes me laugh each time I hear it, which makes the little girl pretty mad. It will take a day or two for Eves to get back to normal, but it's worth it.


*Back to Nature Peanut Butter Creme Cookies are not made with vegetables and have very little nutritional value, but a good friend told me she had seen this in an ad and I am choosing to believe it to be true. I have been eating a ridiculous amount of vegetables this week, incidentally!

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Is anyone else ready for Christmas? I can't wait. I think most of us agree that October is entirely too late for the stores to begin putting out decorations. August is already halfway over! What's taking so long?

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Things That Happened This Week That I Want to Remember:

•  Evie kissed Baby Archer goodbye
•  Took a few more steps
•  We discovered that the cats are terrified of bubbles
•  Evie learned how to unlock my iPhone

Firsts

Evie had a first today that may be my favorite to date. She started displaying her sense of humor! While we were at the grocery store, I went down the pet aisle so she could point out all the dogs and cats. I started pointing out the cats on the packaging and asking her what sound they make and she kept responding with "uff" and then cracking up! I'd say "noooooo! They're kitties!" Which made her laugh even harder. I loved it.

I love you, Marie. Uff.

Another first that shows a different side of her personality is her ability to walk. Evie is incredibly cautious with everything she does and this has shown with every step (and lack thereof). She absentmindedly took her first two steps last Friday and I praised her like crazy, but she didn't realize what she had done. She is so steady on her feet and I know when she decides she's ready to start walking she will be an instant pro, but for now she prefers the safety and comfort of crawling. Tonight she took several more steps toward Matt. She was crying and stumbled into his arms so he would pick her up, but I still don't think she realized what was happening. I'll be excited to see her on her feet, though it's just one more reminder that she's not a baby anymore!

Just looking cute is all.

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Go buy a box of Back to Nature Peanut Butter Creme cookies. They taste just like Do-Si-Dos! Dangerously delicious. I'm on my second box in 3 days. Let's get fat together! 

renovations

Disclaimer: Evie was up from 11-3 last night, so if I start to sound crazy, I am. I'm also really tired. From now on, let's go ahead and agree to blame Evie whenever my writing is boring, nonsensical, or offensive.

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We are in the planning stages of some home renovations. When we moved in two years ago, we made a list of everything we wanted to do to the house. For the first year, we spent nearly every weekend doing a project. We, with a lot of help from my parents, painted every wall and even spent the hottest weekend in 2009 painting the entire exterior of the house. Before long, all of the affordable, DIY items were marked off and now we're left with the big stuff: kitchen, bathrooms and floors.

We've decided to tackle the kitchen first, because blue laminate countertops are an affront to humanity. We plan to move in 1-3 years, so we're going for a simple, classic look. To avoid pricing out of our market, we're going with the cheapest level of granite. I'm picturing white cabinets, slate/black counters and glass subway tiles. Right now, our cabinets are 80's glazed honey oak. Very dated. Also, the previous occupants owned a sharp-clawed dog that was intent on giving them a distressed look. I always expected to paint them, but it's too big of a job to tackle ourselves and the quotes I'm getting are about the same as our countertops! This is shocking to me. So we have some prioritizing to do and Evie has even more pressure to place Grand Supreme at her next glitz pageant. Git it, gurl!

 Our kitchen before we moved in

Another "before" pic.

 Current Kitchen. We replaced the ceiling fan with a chandelier and painted the walls and moulding.

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UPDATE: (Matt, you can stop reading now. Nothing more for you to see here.) We may need to redo our carpets before our countertops after all. Turns out it's a bad idea to paint your toenails in the vicinity of a toddler with lighting-quick grabby paws.


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Pictures of Evie just because:

 Check out the bedhead.

full days

It's been a busy week! I received a big project from a local medical mall (seriously, it's like a mall with 20+ medical practices) and the project keeps getting bigger and more involved. They like what I've done so far and today they're sending my name to all the practices in the facility suggesting they use me for all of their design and marketing campaigns. I am feeling both overwhelmed and fortunate. I don't want to turn away clients in this market, but I can't be both a full-time stay at home mom and designer. Do I limit the work I accept and hope my clients don't replace me with someone they can always rely on? Hire a freelance designer? Enlist the help of a nanny? I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, but my schedule is already uncomfortably full, so I'd like to be prepared.

I admit it would be really tough for me to hire someone to help with Evie. I love spending my days with her. In my entire life, I've never felt happier or more content. Even on the tough days, of which there are plenty, I like to be the one who cuddles with her when she is sad and who tries not to laugh as she pretends to put food in her mouth before throwing it on the floor. She's only 13 months, but I can already feel the time slipping away and I want to appreciate every day I have while she still needs me. I know I have some control issues and over-protective tendencies to keep in check, but mostly I just think she's hilarious and unbelievably sweet and I like hanging out with her. Can someone figure out a way to stop the clock, please?

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We booked a vacation!! I am SO excited! Before these projects began consuming all of my "me" time, I was obsessively researching everything Disney Cruise. This will be my 5th voyage, but the first with a baby. Can. Not. Wait. It will be the first full week we've spent together as a family and with Matt's work schedule, it can't come soon enough. We leave November 12th for a week. We'll be stopping in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and twice at Disney's private island. We'll be in Cozumel for my 32nd birthday! I think! I keep forgetting how old I am. Any ideas of what we should do in port would be greatly appreciated! Also accepting advice on how to leave a baby with attachment issues and an over-protective mother in the on-board nursery so Matt and I can have some baby-free fun.

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It amazes me how much Evie understands these days! Everyday is something new.
Cute changes:
•  the way she tries to say "kitty," which is more like "ktheee" said in a whisper
•  seeing her blossoming thespian abilities. As I mentioned above, she will tightly grasp a bite of food in her fist, bring it to her mouth without letting go, then she'll pretend to chew it as she throws it on the floor. So difficult not to laugh!

Things I miss:
•  She no longer yells "MAaaaaaAAaAaaaaa?!" when she's looking for me. It was so funny! She did it for months, then a few days ago I realized it has been weeks since I last heard it.

And now for a video of my favorite girl: