Big changes!

I was downloading what has been on my flash card for the last year and came across a couple videos of Josie when she was born. So much has changed in a year!! Here she is at 3 days old.

And here she is last night at dinner-- still moving around a lot. She's taken to shaking her head "no" for every question. And insists on feeding herself with the spoon. What a little character!

Cranberry Lake with 2 one year olds

Josie and Sohie celebrated their first birthday up at camp this year together. Having spent 2 weeks together in Michigan, Wheaton and New York, they began to act like proper one year old cousins... learning how to share, play in the same place and talk. It was fun to watch them being such "big girls". Amazing that a year has gone by already!

Simply Radiant

My dear friend Cami got married a couple weeks ago and I was privileged to go to the wedding and spend 2 glorious days with my dear college roommates. My mother came out to Chicago to watch Josie for me (and called in her entire extended family to help with the challenge) and I spend time solo with my friends. I doubt this will ever happen again, but it sure was a blessing to be with such wonderful people! And I got the special privilege to join the bride and groom after their wedding reception at the beach to shoot a few photos. As I go though them now, I am stunned at just how beautiful Cami was... a truly radiant bride!!! Beware, there's some smooching going on here!

Goodbye Grandpa

Herschel David Evans

February1, 1919- June 16, 2010

My grandfather passed away early in the morning our first morning home in NY. At 91 years of age, he spent his last day doing what he did best, working hard at his camp in Cranberry Lake. He mowed lawns, and worked at removing logs from the woods to cut up into campfire wood and stack by the road with a "Free" sign next to it. Grateful campers (there's a state park at the end of this road) would eventually gather the wood and enjoy a good campfire. Grandpa died after a day of doing what he loved, being outside, being at the lake, working hard. My grandmother was with him though the night when a sudden chest pain began bothering him. His death came quickly, with only a couple hours of discomfort. My grandmother held his hand and was by his side though it all, till the end. My grandmother called my father as the dawn broke, and he joined her to say goodbye to his father. My mother came into our room shortly after Josie woke at 5:30 am to tell us of his passing.

Somehow, we were all there. This was the first day of our one week family vacation of the whole year. What a mercy it was to be present with family in a time of grieving, to already have traveled across the continent and be there. We were soon making arrangements for my brother David to come home from China-- he made it on a flight at 10 pm NY time that very night and was with us the next night. Jordan and Lisa and Sophie were there too, just to be together. For this gathering of family, many who I don't see more than every six months or even once a year, I was thankful. Thankful to be together. To share funny stories of Grandpa. To be in the Adirondacks at the place he loved most in the whole world. To be with family.

Goodbye Grandpa, we will miss you.

Wearing Sackcloth in Texas at Midnight

What a strange group of words to place together. Why? You ask--- good question. Why were we in Houston, Texas, and Josie wearing not quite sackcloth, but close. She was wearing an airplane pillow cover that I fashioned into a shirt. Without it, she donned only a diaper (I was saving her pants until we knew for sure we could get more clothes) as we made our 2nd of 3 flights from NY to Seattle.

Short answer to a long day. Josie was sick. She went through 3 pairs of clothes in our ride to the airport and during the 2 flights we made that day on our way to Seattle. It felt like we were taking the longest possible route from Syracuse to DC to Houston to Seattle. By the time we were in Houston, Josie had vomited so much during the day we only had a diaper to put her in, plus our flight was delayed coming in and we missed our next connection. Our flight in was miseable. The stewardesses had to change out the cushions we sat in, Dave changed his clothes. Brilliant me didn't pack an extra shirt and wore my puke-seasoned clothes throughout the day.

So, it was close to midnight, and our little girl wore sackcloth in the airport while we tried to figure out what to do. Luckily, we were put up in the Marriot by United-- they probably felt extra sorry for a pregnant woman with her naked baby stuck in Houston. We were also able to get our luggage and wash clothes that night. Honestly, getting laid over in Texas isn't so bad after all. Thankful for good old southern hospitality. By the time 6 am rolled around we were sorry we couldn't have stayed more than 8 hours!

We finally did make it home after over 2 weeks of being a part of joyous and grievous circumstances including time with friends and family, a wedding, and a death.

Visitors and birthday: part 1

We celebrated Josie's first birthday a week and a half early while Dave's mom was in town. A couple of families from our church small group joined in the fun. Here we are at our apartment with our friends and family. Josie enjoyed the event immensely, and the cake too.

Our son. The first look.

After a thorough and positive report of the dimensions and health of our child, the technician asked me if I wanted to know what I was having. I told him I'd was pretty sure it was a boy, he could just tell me if I was right. "You're right" he said.

Almost from the beginning I had a very strong sense I was having a son. Why? Hmm... primarily, several dreams that I indeed had a baby boy inside me, and of having a son. A son with dark hair and the same eyes that the other 3 of us share. Secondly, I've had different kinds of pregnancy symptoms this time around. Primarily, itching. On my face, neck, legs. Crazy itching and not because I'm in a dry climate either. This isn't a pregnancy symptom really, but I have lots of blotchy skin on my face with itching... and I accounted little testosterone producer floating around in my womb for that.

(the white glow is just from the scanner, though it seems like light from heaven:)
And I feel like I'm measuring about a month bigger than I was with Josie. The ultrasound did measure our son a couple days older than my due date, so he might be a bigger child. Josie always measured a couple days smaller. And here, when I saw his feet, they are Dave's feet. And arms and legs measure long. Head measures big. And abdomen, small. Seems like another Dave to me!!!

We are looking forward to meeting him in October!! I'm just over half way there in my pregnancy.