Look Ma! Toes!!

Evan has discovered his toes and oh, the wonder!! Whenever the opportunity presents itself, he lifts his legs and grabs his toes. Usually this happens on the changing table and makes diaper changing a challenge. He will even grab the feet of his pajamas in an attempt to get to the toes! So much wiggly fun!! Here's a picture and a video clip - I attempted to email the clip, but it is too large to attach.

Christmas 2007

We had a wonderful first Christmas with Evan. Of course, Evan didn't know what was happening, but he enjoyed seeing all of the people. He is now enjoying playing with his new toys! He's having more fun now that he can hold objects better and get them to his mouth to taste and chew. I'll let the pictures say the rest! Hope that you all had wonderful holidays!!

Waiting to open presents Christmas morning with "Skinny Puppy"

Hanging out with Dad

Snuggling with Mom

Resting up for presents!

I love my rat from Cousin Ezra!!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: yuletide

yule-tide

n. the Christmas season
n. period extending from December 24 to January 6

Origin: 1425-75, late Middle English

Okay, so all of that was already obvious. But what the heck is a yule? And what does it have to do with tides?

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, there is more to yuletide that meets the eye.

[Yule] was the Anglo-Saxons' name for a two-month midwinter season corresponding to Roman December and January, a time of important feasts but not itself a festival. After conversion to Christianity it narrowed to mean "the 12-day feast of the Nativity" (which begins Dec. 25), but was replaced by Christmas by the 11th century, except in the northeast (areas of Danish settlement), where it remained the usual word. Revived in the 19th century by writers to mean "the Christmas of 'Merrie England.'"

Now for the other half of yuletide.

-tide

n. a season or period in the course of the year, day, etc (now used chiefly in combination)
i.e. eventide, wintertide

So there it is. When you sing about "yuletide carols being sung by a choir," you will know what you're singing about!

4 Months Old!

Evan turned 4 months old on Monday! So hard to believe!!

He had his well-baby check-up yesterday complete with 4 more vaccinations. Yuk! He is now 25 3/4 inches long and 17 lbs 10 ounces. Quite a big boy.

I would post a picture, but my camera is currently on hiatus to Dover, NJ for repair under warranty (long story, I'm not too thrilled to relay, but if you really want to know, ask).

Evan also has eczema. For the past month or so I have been slathering him in Eucerin lotion twice a day and he was still turning into something akin to a lizard. Then, more recently, he has taken to aggressively rubbing and sometimes scratching his forehead during the night. I wouldn't see the damage until the next morning as I don't turn on any lights for night feedings. But there he would be in the morning a bloody, scratched up mess. The doctor came into the room and the first thing she said when she saw him was, "He has eczema." So now Evan uses a steroidal lotion three times a day and already on day 2 it has made a huge improvement on his face. He also seems to be relieved of the itching (good for baby) so he will be able to sleep better and wake up less frequently (good for mom). Once my camera has returned from the nether-regions known as Joisy, I'll post some new photos!

Hams for Hanukkah or Why I'm Using Eid Postage Stamps On My Christmas Cards

This begins with a story about a conversation Evan and I overheard at the post office last week. We were waiting in line behind an elderly lady to mail our most recent mooched book to Israel. The conversation went something like this:

Elderly Lady: What are E-I-D stamps?

E-I-D stamps? A quick look at the poster by the window told me that they were holiday stamps.

Postal Employee: Oh, those. They're for the Muslim Christmas. whispered tone It's really such a shame, but we have to carry them. I don't know that anyone buys them.

Elderly Lady: Oh. How do the Priority Mail envelopes work?

She was full of questions.

I could not believe what I was overhearing from the mouth of my local Federal employee! Such misinformation and intolerance. If I had had the money that day, I would have purchased 3 books of Eid stamps just to make a point.

So why am I using Eid stamps even though I'm not Muslim? Let me count the reasons why...

1. The same constitutional amendment protects my right to go to a Christian church, read my Bible and pray to God that protects a Muslim's right to go to Mosque, read the Quran and pray to Allah.

2. Intolerance and prejudice never won anyone's hearts or minds.

3. A Muslim friend and co-worker of mine has a greater dedication to his faith than I do to mine at times. He puts me to shame when I claim in my heart that I am worshipping the true God, but can't find time to pray or read my Bible.

4. The Eid stamps are prettier than the Christmas stamps this year. I mean, really, whose idea was it to make "Christmas Knits" into stamps?

For more information on the Eid festivals check out this link. For more infomation on Hams for Hanukkah, click here.

Savoring Every Moment

I have been thinking a lot since Evan has been born about how I view time. I had a habit for most of my life of "wishing time away." What I mean by that is I would always be looking to the next event rather than focusing on the present. When I was 9 I wanted to be 10, when I was 12 I wanted to be 13, when I was in high school I wanted to be in college, when I was in college I wanted to be in a real job, when I was dating I wanted to be married, etc.

I think you get the point.

I was never satisfied with my life as it currently was. When I reached 29, I began to see that I wasn't going to make all of those "some days" happen. I was not able to keep reaching for everything that I didn't have without missing out on what I had already been blessed with.

The potential for whiling time away grew exponentially with Evan's birth. Not only could I wish away my own life, I could also wish away the life of my child. If only he could talk, walk, use the bathroom on his own, bath himself, drive.

I could wake up one day and not only have missed out on my entire life, but also on the life of my family.

Now I hardly like to think much past today and definitely not past this week. It scares me how fast time has already gone in my life and in Evan's short life thus far. I don't want to miss a single precious moment wishing for "some day". I don't want to miss a single opportunity to teach Evan, to comfort him when he's upset, to snuggle him and love him. I don't want to miss a single "first time" or sweet smile.

I don't want to miss my life.

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: zoetrope

zo-e-trope

noun:
An optical toy, in which figures made to revolve on the inside of a cylinder, and viewed through slits in its circumference, appear like a single figure passing through a series of natural motions as if animated or mechanically moved.

I had never heard of these before and they sounded interesting. Wikipedia has a fairly brief, yet informative article about their history. You can even learn to make your own at www.show.me.uk.com. I may try that out some cold weekend this winter!