Grace's 3rd Birthday Party

In early Novemeber, Evie got invited to Grace's 3rd birthday party. Grace is a very special little girl to our family. We met her parents through our church. Their story isn't mine to tell, but I will say that Grace is a very special blessing to them, and to all of us.

Her birthday party was held at City Park, which is one of my favorite places to go. I looked forward to bringing Evie so much! Shortly after we got there, Evie decided she was hungry, and I realized that even though I had a bottle, I hadn't brought anything with me to warm it. Maria and I put our heads together and decided to use the warm hot dog juice from the crockpot to heat it. The bottle didn't smell very good, but at least it was warm enough for Evie to accept.

One of City Park's greatest features is the famous carousel. I was excited for the chance to share this memory with Evie, although it was very bittersweet for us. My absolute favorite day with Nile was spent at a carousel last year, so he was in our minds. Sadness aside, it was fun to see Evie look around at all of the people, mirrors, and lights. I think she had a blast!

Daddy's Surprise

One weekend, shortly after Halloween, Kyle and I made plans to bring Evie to the park for a picnic lunch. Unfortunately, our plans got ruined by some rain. Kyle decided to send me to Wendy's to pick up some lunch, and while I was gone, he and Evie were hard at work on my surprise. He made an indoor tent. It reminded me of my childhood. I look forward to sharing these happy memories with Evie as she grows.

6 Weeks Old

Here's one of my favorite shots from Evie's 6th week. I love snuggling my baby girl!

Happy Halloween 2011

Every year, our church does a Fall Fest to give the kids in our community a fun, safe place to go for Halloween. We do something called trunk-or-treating, in which the church members decorate their car trunks with a theme and pass out candy from their vehicles while the kids walk around the lot. We also have a chili cookoff (that I NEVER win!), inflatable bouncers and games, face painting, and baked goodies. This year, we decided to do a family theme of bumblebees and ladybugs. Evie slept almost the whole time, but I take that to mean that she was having so much fun that she could barely stay awake. Haha.

Bible Study Kickoff BBQ

In January-ish of 2011, some of the ladies in my Sunday School class decided it would be a great idea to start a Bible study group outside of church, and it was a hit! These ladies have been a great support system to me since Nile's death and through my pregnancy with Evie. I thank God for them all. Our first study was done on Beth Moore's Praying God's Word. I highly recommend it, if you're interested in checking it out. After that study wrapped up, we took a short break, then decided to resume with a new book, Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. Again, I'd highly recommend it.

Anyway, as a kickoff to the new book, we all got together at Lisa and Andy's house for a BBQ, and we brought our families. We've been praying that the men will catch onto our great idea and make their own Bible study group - hint hint.

We thought it would be fun to dress up our kiddos in costumes, so Evie got to model her giraffe outfit again. I'd bought it when I was still pregnant with her, so I'd just guessed on what size she'd be in for Halloween. I guessed wrong! It was very snug and the pants were short, but she still made an adorable giraffe, don't you think?

Tummy Time

Any experienced parent will tell you that tummy time is a vital part in your child's development. It helps to strengthen the neck muscles, and allows the baby to learn head control. It's basically the first step in the direction of sitting up. Evie does so-so with her tummy time. Here's a cute picture we took from a Saturday morning back in October. She's showing off her head control skills.

Evie's Newborn Photoshoot

Evie had her harvest themed newborn photoshoot on 10/16. Half was done in our home, and half was done at our local pumpkin patch. Nikki Mayeux, our fabulous photographer and friend, did a wonderful job! She even carved Evie her first pumpkin. The plan was to take a few photos with her inside the pumpkin, but it was a bit too small on the inside. Oh well :(

I was soooo worried about the photoshoot because newborns are so unpredictable. Thankfully, Evie was easy-going. She only fussed twice, and Kyle was able to calm her down in no time at all.

My favorite part of the photoshoot was capturing her unruly, but beautiful hair. Check out Nikki's blog (under the family section) for a special post about Evie and Nile.

Unfortunately, because my internet is so slow and the photo files are so large, you'll have to check out my facebook or Nikki's page to see them. Enjoy!

www.nikkimayeuxphotography.wordpress.com

Highlights from Week 4

Evie had a few "firsts" during her 4th week. On 10/15, she had her first pumped bottle of milk, which she took well. I had been a little worried that she wouldn't readily accept a bottle since she rejected a pacifier for about a month, but she did well. Her acceptance meant that I could finally get out of the house for a few hours at a time, which was exciting. Don't get me wrong...I love my daughter dearly, but ever mom needs a break from time to time. That same day, Evie also had her first visit with Mr. Allan, my high school We the People teacher and friend, and she went to the local park. We didn't stay long because it was still really hot. On 10/16, she had her newborn photoshoot with Nikki, but I'll post more of that individually. On 10/17, she went on her first shopping trip to Target and Hallmark. Target was also Nile's first store! It's so important to me that they share these experiences.