We just got back from a week long trip to Jamaica. We celebrated our 5th anniversary and enjoyed a second babymoon and Evan tagged along pretty much for free because he doesn't turn 2 for another week! We originally booked our stay with Beaches Sandy Bay in Negril, but after 2 nights we switched over to their neighbor and sister resort Beaches Negril which had a lot more activity and bigger pools, and was nicer. Yes it cost a little more, but it was way more on par with what we were expecting and we had an amazing time. There was some rain the first couple days but it cleared up in the afternoon, and we had a couple spotty storms later in the week, but other than that the weather was beautiful! It was plenty hot which made the pool and ocean wonderful. Plenty sunny which made us appreciate the shade and avoid getting burned for the most part! The evenings were very comfortable and the cloudy horizons led to some amazing sunsets.
The resort is a sponsor of Sesame Street so there are characters in costume that wander every day. We signed up for a character breakfast before we left but quickly realized when we got there that Evan would be terrified so we cancelled that. He enjoyed the shows, but from a comfortable distance and would cry every time they came too close! But he would always ask about all of them when they weren't around. My favorite was when he asked for "Ernie and Burped".
They had a nursery program which allowed us to drop Evan off now and then to get some time to ourselves. We had some free time on the beach and had a few kidless dinners. Evan loved the nursery and the workers there were so great with him. While we were at dinner, they even took him over to the nightly Sesame Street show so he didn't have to miss it!
After the first Sesame Street show we went to, they had a steel drum band come and perform (and Jack and I even recognized some of the performers from a show on our honeymoon!). Evan grimaced his way through Sesame Street, but he danced his little heart out to the steel drum music, doing his best to imitate what they were doing. After the show, they played some dance music and Evan actually danced along to the cha cha slide! Of course he was a step behind the whole time, but that's where he and Jermaine became dancing buddies for the week!
Evan placed his first order by himself. He went up to the bar and said "Hello", and the bartender turned around and said "Hey mon. What can I get you?" and Evan said "um, apple juice?". When he got his apple juice he said "deetoo" (thank you) without being prompted! I was so proud! My family always tells me the story of when I was about Evan's age, maybe even younger and I placed my first order at a restaurant... and it was in Jamaica! I ordered "boogoo, feyes, and wahwoo" (burger, fries and water).
We wrapped the amazing week up with a Reggae Beach Party the last night we were there and we were expecting entertainment in the form of a fire dancer, limbo dude, and others. What we got was a fire dancer and a DANCE PARTY. And Evan had a blast. Jermaine quickly picked up on Evan's favorite move (the run and jump) and did it with him for about 15 minutes straight until they were both pouring with sweat. Then Jermaine brought him up on stage with the rest of the entertainment crew and Evan let lose. He pulled out all his moves (mostly jumping and a little running with the "Evan one arm pump") and he even attempted some of the reggae moves that the entertainment crew was doing, all under the close supervision of Jermaine! He probably danced up there for at least 15 minutes until some of the dancing got a little too crazy and he might have been trampled. As soon as Jermaine brought him back to the rest of the dancing guests out front, he cried and pointed at the stage. So back he went! Jermaine was so great and the two of them had such a great time. Jermaine even came to see us off in the morning!
Jack seems to be planning our next trip already. Whenever it is, I know we'll have a blast!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Home Improvement
We will be expanding our home by two feet in April!
We are very excited to announce that we are expecting McBaby #2, due April 3!!! I've been feeling pretty different this time around. I barely had any nausea with Evan but this time I spent a good few weeks pretty sick and tired. But my energy is back and food is appealing again! No cravings yet, but plenty of first trimester aversions. I thought this baby might be a vegetarian! But meat is good again! We should be finding out if it's a boy or girl sometime in early to mid November. I guess that's all to report for now!
We are very excited to announce that we are expecting McBaby #2, due April 3!!! I've been feeling pretty different this time around. I barely had any nausea with Evan but this time I spent a good few weeks pretty sick and tired. But my energy is back and food is appealing again! No cravings yet, but plenty of first trimester aversions. I thought this baby might be a vegetarian! But meat is good again! We should be finding out if it's a boy or girl sometime in early to mid November. I guess that's all to report for now!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Evan's first prayer
Evan's bedtime routine, when we're at home which isn't that often anymore with Jack's family in town, consists of reading books in the rocking chair, saying a blessing that my dad said to me every night (Numbers 6:24-25), hug and kiss and down to bed. Lately he's been asking to pray (by folding his hands and squeaking) when we're done with books, so I've been praying with him for the last week or so, going through a list of what we were thankful for that day. When we were done last night, he wanted more so I said "you do it". And he did!
"Deetoo Fry, Daya, batz, Daddy, Mommy, Farty, poop, nono, peepee."
Translated: "thank you for Strom (Evan's uncle), the Incredibles, pizza, Daddy, Mommy, lovey, poop, fan, peepee."
I had tears in my eyes from laughing, being so moved, and maybe a little from being 5th on the list!
"Deetoo Fry, Daya, batz, Daddy, Mommy, Farty, poop, nono, peepee."
Translated: "thank you for Strom (Evan's uncle), the Incredibles, pizza, Daddy, Mommy, lovey, poop, fan, peepee."
I had tears in my eyes from laughing, being so moved, and maybe a little from being 5th on the list!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Summer Fun
Meant to put up this post a few weeks ago once I got a picture of the sunset from my in-laws new house off the camera but clearly, that's taking too long so here we go without the picture!
We've had a crazy month, with many different subsets of family living here. On June 27, Jack's parents, sister, brother, their 2 cats and dog, and 3 cars, and many boxes of stuff moved into our house in between house closings. Aside from some animal misbehavior, we've had a blast having them here.
Pretty shortly after moving in, Catherine's boyfriend Jeremy came down for a visit. We had fun going to Moreau, enjoyed the 4th of July parade and fireworks, and had a great day in Saratoga for Catherine's birthday. Evan rode the Congress Park carousel with me, we walked up and down Broadway, had dinner at Cantinas (YUM), and stopped at Yaddo Gardens on the way home.
After that, we have spent time with different subsets of family. Tess and Joseph headed to Florida for 8 days and the day before they got back, Catherine left for Maine for about 2 weeks.
It went a lot faster than I expected, and I'm blessed to have such wonderful in-laws. I know many would cringe at the thought of hosting their in-laws for just short of a month, but it actually ends up being a lot easier having them here than not. They have truly spoiled us, and we felt a little sad to have them leave. The house feels a lot more empty.
But we spent the afternoon into the evening at their new house yesterday and it's the start of a new and exciting fun chapter that has completely overtaken any feelings of sadness to have them move a whole 15 minutes away! Even though the movers hadn't come yet, we felt like we were on vacation at their house yesterday. Their new house is right on the Mohawk River! We swam in the river, fished, watched the boats and jet skis go by, and Evan even joined in the fun when he woke up from his nap. He's been in an anti-water phase for about a month now. He splashed, giggled, and dunked his face in the water many times. He waved and said "hi" to the boats going by. He "fished" with Daddy. We finished the evening with a cookout, watching the sun set over the river from their patio, deck and 3-season room. The 3-season room will be a favorite to all of us, being able to hang out "outside" and bug-free. Looking forward to many fun times at the new house!
We've had a crazy month, with many different subsets of family living here. On June 27, Jack's parents, sister, brother, their 2 cats and dog, and 3 cars, and many boxes of stuff moved into our house in between house closings. Aside from some animal misbehavior, we've had a blast having them here.
Pretty shortly after moving in, Catherine's boyfriend Jeremy came down for a visit. We had fun going to Moreau, enjoyed the 4th of July parade and fireworks, and had a great day in Saratoga for Catherine's birthday. Evan rode the Congress Park carousel with me, we walked up and down Broadway, had dinner at Cantinas (YUM), and stopped at Yaddo Gardens on the way home.
After that, we have spent time with different subsets of family. Tess and Joseph headed to Florida for 8 days and the day before they got back, Catherine left for Maine for about 2 weeks.
It went a lot faster than I expected, and I'm blessed to have such wonderful in-laws. I know many would cringe at the thought of hosting their in-laws for just short of a month, but it actually ends up being a lot easier having them here than not. They have truly spoiled us, and we felt a little sad to have them leave. The house feels a lot more empty.
But we spent the afternoon into the evening at their new house yesterday and it's the start of a new and exciting fun chapter that has completely overtaken any feelings of sadness to have them move a whole 15 minutes away! Even though the movers hadn't come yet, we felt like we were on vacation at their house yesterday. Their new house is right on the Mohawk River! We swam in the river, fished, watched the boats and jet skis go by, and Evan even joined in the fun when he woke up from his nap. He's been in an anti-water phase for about a month now. He splashed, giggled, and dunked his face in the water many times. He waved and said "hi" to the boats going by. He "fished" with Daddy. We finished the evening with a cookout, watching the sun set over the river from their patio, deck and 3-season room. The 3-season room will be a favorite to all of us, being able to hang out "outside" and bug-free. Looking forward to many fun times at the new house!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Camping
We had a fun spontaneous weekend with 2 sets of Jaegers up at their family camp a few weeks ago. We joined Dan/Stacie/Ava/Loralei and Tom/Sara/Lydia for a weekend at the lake with fishing, swimming (or in Evan's case, observing from the dock), kayaking, biking, laying out, campfire and smores and lots of fellowship!
Jack caught his biggest fish to date! Dan got him "hooked" our first trip up to the lake 3 years ago and it's been a growing obsession ever since.
Jack and I got away to kayak together when Evan was down for a nap. It was so peaceful paddling into the coves and over the shallows of Loon Lake. When he woke up, we brought Evan down to the water. Evan was hysterically laughing, watching Ava jump off the end of the dock. We eventually tricked Evan into the water with a ball of course! He wasn't thrilled but he sucked it up just long enough to get the ball and go back to the dock over and over.
Evan had a great time playing with the other kids. They played with chalk, frisbees, Clip Clop (the spring horse), and chasing and rough housing.
We are so grateful for their hospitality and generosity inviting us each year. It's always a good time!
Jack caught his biggest fish to date! Dan got him "hooked" our first trip up to the lake 3 years ago and it's been a growing obsession ever since.
Jack and I got away to kayak together when Evan was down for a nap. It was so peaceful paddling into the coves and over the shallows of Loon Lake. When he woke up, we brought Evan down to the water. Evan was hysterically laughing, watching Ava jump off the end of the dock. We eventually tricked Evan into the water with a ball of course! He wasn't thrilled but he sucked it up just long enough to get the ball and go back to the dock over and over.
Evan had a great time playing with the other kids. They played with chalk, frisbees, Clip Clop (the spring horse), and chasing and rough housing.
We are so grateful for their hospitality and generosity inviting us each year. It's always a good time!
Evmeister
What's new with Evan? Well he pooped on the potty! He started coming up and saying "poop" right before he was going to poop, so I tried putting him on the toilet one of those times, and he went! Sadly, it was a one time thing. He found the experience somewhat traumatic and wouldn't even go in the bathroom the rest of the day. Now he has a potty chair that he plays with and we'll see if we can start trying again because it seems the ability is there, just not the emotional readiness!
I wonder if this contributed to his sudden water-phobia. Until yesterday, he has hated baths, kiddie pools, swimming pools, and bodies of water. Didn't matter if we were holding him, if he was in super shallow water (he wouldn't put his feet down), or if he was in a flotation device. He would just cry and keep signing "all done". But yesterday, at my in-laws' new house right on the Mohawk River, he had a blast swimming with all of us. He splashed and even put his face in the water multiple times! He stayed in for probably at least 45 minutes!
His vocabulary is growing all the time. He's getting pretty good at his first attempts of new words. He is eager to learn more as he points around the room saying "this?". He has been putting 2 words together more often. "Bye ____" (to whoever he's saying bye to), "more snack", and I'm embarrassed to admit this one, but "watch TV". We really don't watch that much! We play outside a lot!
He had a doctor appointment a few weeks ago... 3 months late for his 18 month visit. We were delayed with insurance changes. He was a complete wimp for everything. He cried through every measurement and examination. And of course cried even more for the shot. But he was fine when we left! He weighed in at 28 lbs 10oz, which puts him in the 55th or so percentile. He measured at 35.5 inches which puts him at the 95th percentile. Tall and lean! My young athlete.
He is feisty and energetic, but so lovable and snuggly and we always catch ourselves endearingly saying "that kid". We love him so much and are so lucky to have him.
I wonder if this contributed to his sudden water-phobia. Until yesterday, he has hated baths, kiddie pools, swimming pools, and bodies of water. Didn't matter if we were holding him, if he was in super shallow water (he wouldn't put his feet down), or if he was in a flotation device. He would just cry and keep signing "all done". But yesterday, at my in-laws' new house right on the Mohawk River, he had a blast swimming with all of us. He splashed and even put his face in the water multiple times! He stayed in for probably at least 45 minutes!
His vocabulary is growing all the time. He's getting pretty good at his first attempts of new words. He is eager to learn more as he points around the room saying "this?". He has been putting 2 words together more often. "Bye ____" (to whoever he's saying bye to), "more snack", and I'm embarrassed to admit this one, but "watch TV". We really don't watch that much! We play outside a lot!
He had a doctor appointment a few weeks ago... 3 months late for his 18 month visit. We were delayed with insurance changes. He was a complete wimp for everything. He cried through every measurement and examination. And of course cried even more for the shot. But he was fine when we left! He weighed in at 28 lbs 10oz, which puts him in the 55th or so percentile. He measured at 35.5 inches which puts him at the 95th percentile. Tall and lean! My young athlete.
He is feisty and energetic, but so lovable and snuggly and we always catch ourselves endearingly saying "that kid". We love him so much and are so lucky to have him.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Catching up
I guess I've been too busy living the blog-worthy moments to stop and actually document them here. Here is a quick summary of our summer fun thus far:
FAMILY! Lots and lots of family time. We went up to Maine for Catherine's graduation, hosted the family almost immediately after while they're house hunting. Oh, did I not tell you, blog world? My in-laws are moving back to town! So we've hosted a few house hunting visits. Evan has gotten no shortage of time with Papa Jon ("Bapa"), Gram ("Gigi"), Catherine ("Tat"), Joseph ("Doe"), Regan ("Ree Ree"), and Strom ("..." he can't even attempt that one yet, just rolls his eyes at you when you ask). We're very excited to only drive 15 minutes over to Waterford to see them now. Well, it's still a lot more than that to see Regan and Strom but when they come visit it will only be that far now!
Following a house hunting visit, Regan and Strom stuck around for some extra time with us, and we were so blessed to have them here. Regan graciously (like it took much convincing) used her decorating skills to help us finally decorate our downstairs family room after 3 years of using it with no decor to speak of! We now have a functional toy storage unit, some "theater" decor in the couch/tv area, and a nice mirror and table in the entryway. We went with a green/teal color scheme and I love it! She also helped us do a gallery wall which we still need a couple photos for frames, but it still looks great! Thank you so much!
We also had fun taking them out to Browns Tavern in Troy which has our favorite wings ever. We took them up to Forno Toscano Bistro in Saratoga and since we didn't have time to wait for the outside dining, we all felt underdressed together inside and had a delicious meal. We introduced them to our new favorite TV show, Community, and blew through the first season in about 5 or 6 sittings.
In the time that we didn't have them family around, we've been enjoying the heat wave and playing outside a lot. Since a critter came and destroyed my garden I repurposed it as a "beach" for Evan. Ok, it's a pretty ghetto beach. It's a tarp on the dirt with an inflatable pool and a beach umbrella. He sometimes likes it but isn't always in the mood. He has a new basketball hoop (thank you so much, Gram and Papa Jon. What a great buy!) and it goes inside and outside with us. Evan loves going for walks in the morning before it gets too hot, and we usually end with going to the park down the street. The last 3 blocks of the walk he keeps asking to go on the "bee" (slide) and every time we get to the park, he grabs his basketball when he gets out of the stroller and heads straight for the courts... not the slide! What an athlete.
What's new with Evan? Oh something is new every day. I'll try to recap. He is a CHATTERBOX! You have to know how to translate though. Depending on the body language, a word could have many different meanings.
Bee - slide (because he goes "beeeeee" when he slides down), "sliding" forward off furniture or stairs
Dis - downstairs, juice, eat, dance, cheese
Ba - ball, basketball hoop, frisbee
Bus - any vehicle with a diesel engine or squeaky brakes
Bas - bath
Byah - banana, guitar, piano
Bahp - apple, bubbles
Wiss - woods, raisins, horse
Ca-ee - Charlie (his buddy from church), or car
Wash - walk, watch (TV)
Zah - socks, shoes, snack
Coksh - crocs
Boot - book, boat
Boots - broken
Grge - George (he is obsessed with Curious George now)
He has started putting gibberish sentences together. He has so much to say, but the right words aren't there. Doesn't stop him from trying though!
He is a young athlete in the making. He is most obsessed with basketball, but also kicks the soccer ball around, throws the football, and as of a few days ago he can hike it. He can throw a ball in the air and hit it with a bat. The accuracy depends on the size of the ball. He's pretty good at throwing a ball up in the air and swatting it with his hand like a volleyball serve. He loves frisbee and I'm serious and not bragging here but you need to stand far back from him when he has a frisbee because he could take your head off! He's not only has a good arm, but a dynamite catch as well.
FAMILY! Lots and lots of family time. We went up to Maine for Catherine's graduation, hosted the family almost immediately after while they're house hunting. Oh, did I not tell you, blog world? My in-laws are moving back to town! So we've hosted a few house hunting visits. Evan has gotten no shortage of time with Papa Jon ("Bapa"), Gram ("Gigi"), Catherine ("Tat"), Joseph ("Doe"), Regan ("Ree Ree"), and Strom ("..." he can't even attempt that one yet, just rolls his eyes at you when you ask). We're very excited to only drive 15 minutes over to Waterford to see them now. Well, it's still a lot more than that to see Regan and Strom but when they come visit it will only be that far now!
Following a house hunting visit, Regan and Strom stuck around for some extra time with us, and we were so blessed to have them here. Regan graciously (like it took much convincing) used her decorating skills to help us finally decorate our downstairs family room after 3 years of using it with no decor to speak of! We now have a functional toy storage unit, some "theater" decor in the couch/tv area, and a nice mirror and table in the entryway. We went with a green/teal color scheme and I love it! She also helped us do a gallery wall which we still need a couple photos for frames, but it still looks great! Thank you so much!
We also had fun taking them out to Browns Tavern in Troy which has our favorite wings ever. We took them up to Forno Toscano Bistro in Saratoga and since we didn't have time to wait for the outside dining, we all felt underdressed together inside and had a delicious meal. We introduced them to our new favorite TV show, Community, and blew through the first season in about 5 or 6 sittings.
In the time that we didn't have them family around, we've been enjoying the heat wave and playing outside a lot. Since a critter came and destroyed my garden I repurposed it as a "beach" for Evan. Ok, it's a pretty ghetto beach. It's a tarp on the dirt with an inflatable pool and a beach umbrella. He sometimes likes it but isn't always in the mood. He has a new basketball hoop (thank you so much, Gram and Papa Jon. What a great buy!) and it goes inside and outside with us. Evan loves going for walks in the morning before it gets too hot, and we usually end with going to the park down the street. The last 3 blocks of the walk he keeps asking to go on the "bee" (slide) and every time we get to the park, he grabs his basketball when he gets out of the stroller and heads straight for the courts... not the slide! What an athlete.
What's new with Evan? Oh something is new every day. I'll try to recap. He is a CHATTERBOX! You have to know how to translate though. Depending on the body language, a word could have many different meanings.
Bee - slide (because he goes "beeeeee" when he slides down), "sliding" forward off furniture or stairs
Dis - downstairs, juice, eat, dance, cheese
Ba - ball, basketball hoop, frisbee
Bus - any vehicle with a diesel engine or squeaky brakes
Bas - bath
Byah - banana, guitar, piano
Bahp - apple, bubbles
Wiss - woods, raisins, horse
Ca-ee - Charlie (his buddy from church), or car
Wash - walk, watch (TV)
Zah - socks, shoes, snack
Coksh - crocs
Boot - book, boat
Boots - broken
Grge - George (he is obsessed with Curious George now)
He has started putting gibberish sentences together. He has so much to say, but the right words aren't there. Doesn't stop him from trying though!
He is a young athlete in the making. He is most obsessed with basketball, but also kicks the soccer ball around, throws the football, and as of a few days ago he can hike it. He can throw a ball in the air and hit it with a bat. The accuracy depends on the size of the ball. He's pretty good at throwing a ball up in the air and swatting it with his hand like a volleyball serve. He loves frisbee and I'm serious and not bragging here but you need to stand far back from him when he has a frisbee because he could take your head off! He's not only has a good arm, but a dynamite catch as well.
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