Fall into the Evans' Household

Since I updated my fitness followers on my world (http://lovefamilyfitness.blogspot.com/), thought it was time to share what's going on with the Evans family as of late. 

The kiddos are doing great! Kylie is 18 months as of today, and per her check-up this morning, she's healthy and still right on-track for her development. Her vocabulary is expanding on a daily basis, even though a lot it is her own language. From the moment we get her out of her now toddler bed, she's says "Wawa" "Shues" "Ooouuside" "Jooose" "Baby? Baby! Baby?" "Bob, bob" (Spongebob) "Bone" (Phone) "Meow" (Cat) "Mote" (Remote) "Dada, bye bye" "Nana" (Banana) "Eeeesse" (Please) "Eeeth" (Teeth).... the list goes on. She LOVES "dane"-ing (dancing), and is pretty much attached to Shane's hip when he's home. Literally, she wants nothing to do with me, and gets quite upset if I come near him. Hahah! 

Her final days in the crib. 

Always eager to help Daddy outside. 

And always in your face (which is fine by me!).

Her Daddy is most definitely her Prince. 

Putting our classy lady to work early!

Running away from a picnic in the park with Mommy and Sammy. 

Loving the perks of Fall in the backyard.

Finally understands Skype, so Daddy got lots of kisses on a recent trip.

Sammy is also doing great! He's such a sweet, sweet baby. We joke, but he's a "normal" baby. Kylie was balls-to-the-wall from the minute she started rolling over (7 weeks), whereas, Sammy just kinda takes his time with things and life. He just started rolling over, and he'll be 4 months in a few days. He spends more time looking/playing/munching on his toys than Kylie ever did. She was like, "oh, that's cool. What's next???" Sammy is more like, "Ooh. I like this. I'm gonna mow down on it until you take it away from me." He sleeps SO WELL! Naps like a baby should nap (Kylie took 20-30 minute power naps. He sleeps for an hour at a time, at least!). And we're on a week-long streak of BOTH kids sleeping at night for 11-12 hours straight!! Do we ever feel refreshed!! :) 

Loves tummy time, and establishes it all.the.time now that he is rolling over.

Enjoying the Fall weather in the backyard in the pack-n-play. 

Feeling the same runner's high as mommy after a recent jog together. 

Calmly taking in the world from his play-mat. 

Us parents are doing well, too. We finally indulged in a date-night to celebrate Halloween, and we had a blast! Six years ago on Halloween is when Shane and I became "us," so it's a special holiday to say the least. This year, we thought we'd bid our favorite tv series (Breaking Bad) "adieu" by dressing up as the main characters--- Jesse and Walter "Heisenberg" White. 

Not the most ideal date-night outfit for myself, but at least it protected me from spilled drinks ;) 

And here's a throwback from our first Halloween together. Shane as Bret Michaels and me as a the college student who came straight from the library to get to know this Iowa man some more. Thank goodness I didn't base my opinion of Shane on that hairdo! 

Other than that, Shane is on the road 1-2 times per month, and I'm patiently (ha!) waiting for my California Pupil Personnel Services Credential so I can start applying to some counseling positions. Although I'm more than ready to get into a school and be around adults on a daily basis, I keep reminding myself to enjoy every (non-crazy) minute with the kids while I can. I know I'll miss being at-home with them, but I do look forward to the next step in my life. Shane on the other hand is very excited to swap roles and stay home more often to be the wonderful, amazing, patient, and fun father he is!

So that's life for us in a nutshell. We look forward to seeing many of you next month for the holidays (although I'm already having nightmares about the drive to Iowa with both kids.... heheh ;). We hope everyone is happy, healthy and has a wonderful Turkey Day! Gobble, gobble!! 

Love,

The Expanded Evans

Summer Celebrations!

Hi, everyone!

Since I have a little bit of down time from the kidS (still feels strange to say that...), thought I'd share the latest on the Evans' household. 

As you all know, almost three weeks ago we welcomed our newest addition, Samuel Lee, to the outside world. What you may not know is my labor and delivery story with the little guy. 

I had heard that the second kid and thereafter usually come pretty quickly. Some say about half the labor and delivery time as your first. With Kylie, I labored at home for quite some time until the hospital finally admitted me 13 hours prior to delivery. With Sammy, I labored for a couple of hours at home, and then from the hospital parking lot to delivery---52 minutes! Folks, we joke, but we could've had a car baby!! Lol! 

Everything happened SO FAST! I had every intention of going the epidural route, again, but because I was dilating so quickly, my worst nightmare happened. I missed the window of any pain meds and was calmly told as I screamed bloody murder that I would have to deliver completely natural. I freaked out!! (Shane later told me that I was screaming in the triage room, "I'm not doing anything until I get an epidural!!!). 

After "checking in," the nurses rushed me into a delivery room, scrambled to find a doctor, and actually prepped for a nurse delivery. No OBGYN doctor could be found at the moment, so the house doctor had to assist for the 2 minutes of pushing. Sammy pretty much flew out of me, causing a bit of bruising to his sweet little face. However, he is as healthy as they come, thank goodness! 

I'm still in disbelief about the experience, and tell everyone that the speediness of it all is what truly got me through it. Would I do it again, willingly? Nope! But I admit that I'm glad I saw a different "light" of pregnancy and birth. Even moreso, I'm glad that Sammy is finally here!!!!

Born 7/17/2013 at 11:57 p.m. 8 lbs, 3 oz, 18.7 inches

Enjoying the first hour out of the womb together. 

The nurses apologized because they said usually they have the board semi-prepped. However, since there was no time, they filled it in for a picture. 

So happy to have our fourth family member join us! (And so happy to be done with the labor and delivery :)

Sammy's sweet little feet.

Dad's sweet pose with said feet. 

Sleep, sleep, sleep. Grow, grow, grow. 

Our very sweet (and patient ;) friend, Chelsie, took Kylie for the night while we welcomed Sammy. We were excited to reunite with our wild child the next day at the hospital so she could meet her baby brother, who she now calls "BaBa."

Our friends, Will and Ditte, were also sweet enough to swing by to meet the little guy. 

Once we settled in back home, Sammy and Daddy shared some quality bonding time. Love my men!

I'm thinking he looks like his Daddy. What do you think?

Thought I'd throw this bump picture in the mix. The morning of Sammy's arrival, after my 39 weeks doctor's appointment, we switched up our daily, neighborhood walk by exploring the grounds of the California State Capitol. 

Funny to think, around the same time the next day, I was holding the handsome guy in my arms. :) 

Kylie seems to be adjusting pretty well, or at least, better than expected. She LOVES giving him kisses, trying to pick him up (not quite there yet), helping out with diaper duty, giving him his binky and bottle, and just looking at him. However, she's been having a few more melt downs and wants to be picked up allllllll the time. I'd say we've got a wee case of jealousy going on, but I definitely think it could be worse. 

Even though we're still adjusting to taking the "Evans' circus" out in public, our local adventures still continue. The other weekend we checked out Beals Point at Folsom Lake, which is as close as we can get to a local "beach."

We also spend a lot of time in the backyard. Shane has created a "waterpark" for Kylie, as well as built her a sandbox. She LOVES running around with her Daddy, all while Sam and I hang in the shade. 

How the little guy spends most of his days. Gotta enjoy the quiet time before he's grows up as wild as his sissy. 

Kylie marking her (infant) territory. However, when she shares it with Sammy, she enjoys pushing him.

To aid in our "adventures" and much needed extra space, we said goodbye to Shane's Chrysler 300, and welcomed this ride into the fam. I can't believe we are minivan owners, as I NEVER thought you could pay me to be associated with one, but we're all in LOVE!

Body painting in the backyard. She looks thrilled, huh? 

Meanwhile, someone was keeping an eye on Mommy. :) 

Finally, this wonderful piece of paper showed up last week in the mail. It's official! I'm a school counselor (who needs a job.... :). 

Thanks to so many of you for checking in and providing so much love and support to our family (even if it's from a distance). We're really blessed to have such wonderful family and friends! And we feel really blessed to be at this stage of our lives. 

Take care and enjoy the rest of your summer!

-The Expanded Evans

Summer is here...and soon Sammy will be, too!! :)

Hey everyone!

Wow, it's been awhile, huh?! Life has been crazy busy these past few months but has finally slowed down because I'm done with graduate school!! Yep, no more teachers, no more books for this gal! My "professional life" as a school counselor can officially begin... once I land a job, that is. ;) 

As far as baby news, all is well! I'm creeping into week 35 with Sammy, and based on the last doctor's visit, he is ready to make an appearance- soon!! He has already dropped, is head down, but needs to lock himself into my pelvis before the game (Evans Baby Pool 2013) can begin. If you have not done so already and want to participate, send in your votes (via email to Shane at evans_shane@hotmail.com or snail mail). The rules are as follows:

First, guess the date of birth. The due date is July 19th.
Second, guess the first tiebreaker... morning or afternoon? (Kylie was born at 5:18 pm).
Third, guess the second tiebreaker...over/under 8 lbs 2 oz (Kylie's birth weight).

 
You can guess as many times as you want but it's five dollars per guess.

I recently told Shane that I had my "moment of peace," and that I'm mentally (and definitely physically) ready to meet and greet Sammy boy. I distinctly remember feeling like this with Kylie about 2 weeks out from her debut, so maybe he will follow suit? 

Speaking of Kylie, she is doing awesome!! We recently celebrated her 1st birthday, which included a lovely visit from her grandma (my mom). She definitely got spoiled with lots of love and gifts, and we thank all of you who partook in the spoiling. 

As of late, she is high-fiving, mimicking everything we do, throwing (adorable-ha!) tantrums when things don't go her way, and filling every day with such memorable moments. Crazy to think that these weeks are her last as an only child, but I think she will be over the moon to have a life-long playmate she calls her brother. 

Guess I should include an update on Shane, too, huh? ;) He is doing well, and loving life as a part-time stay-at-home daddy. He is definitely doing an awesome job because it's so apparent to all that are around the Evans' family that Kylie is in LOVE with her daddy!! They share a bond that is so different than my own with her, but then again, mom means business. Dad is playtime! He's also doing awesome at work, as he recently got promoted to Major (although he won't pin on until next year) and received an award at his squadron's Annual Recognition Dinner for Pilot of the Year!! I'm sooo proud of him and so blessed to call him my husband (of two years!! yay!!).

Here are some pictures from the last couple of months. Enjoy!

 Celebrating our Irish roots at the Old Sacramento St. Patty's Day Parade. :) 

Kylie had one too many...
 

 Our fashionista is OBSESSED with putting clothes on her head and around her neck.

Enjoying a lovely afternoon in the backyard. 

After she dunked herself. hahah! 

 

Me and our kiddos! (28 weeks)

Goobers!

Checking out her new "toy" from grandma. :) 

Introduced Shane and Kylie to the (occasional) family tradition... the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk. This year we celebrated 20 years of my mom being cancer-free!! 

 Kylie mowing down on the cake at her birthday party at McKinley Park.

After a morning stroll with mom. Guess she was tired of hearing me yack away on the phone behind her.

Look at little miss diva (and her baby)! 

Shades and a smile!

 

Playing checkers at the Sacramento County Fair. 

The following are a sneak peak from our recent family photo shoot, done by Kristin Bridges Photography.

 Thought these turned out pretty well despite the heat of the day! Can't wait to see and share the rest of them.

Well that is all for now. I'll try to do one final post before Sammy's arrival, but who knows!? Maybe the next time I post, I'll be sharing his first moments out of the womb and our first moments as a family of four! :)

Love you all!!

xoxo,

The Expanding Evans