April 15, 2003

It's been over six months since Evan joined our family, and sometimes it's hard to remember what life was like without him. (We fondly remember sleeping past 7:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, though.)

We started the year with a visit from our friend Kathryn and her two kids, Joshua and Clare. We went to Kohl children's museum in Wilmette, where the kids had a great time, and then Kathryn and the kids came and spent the night at our house. The kids had fun playing in the tent, and the grown-ups had fun catching up on visiting.

In February Evan started referring to Bentley as "Ba-ba," which he says with a high, cooing tone of voice. We've also noticed that he also uses the same word to refer to babies. His typical greeting when he meets a baby (whether it's someone we know, or a stranger in an airport or restaurant) is to reach out and pat the baby on the head.

A highlight this winter was our first family vacation: a week in Scottsdale, Arizona. Grandma and Grandpa Schultz and Aunt Jodi met us there, as well as Kristin's cousin Becky, her three boys, and their Nana and Papa (Grandma Schultz's sister). Evan had a great time. He loved spending lots of time outside, and by the end of the week would beg anyone who was indoors with him to take him out for a walk or at least out on the patio to gaze at the view of the pool. He also enjoyed meeting his cousins! Evan and Cade hit it off right away, and the twins, Caleb and Colton, were very nice about sharing their matchbox cars with their baby cousin.

One thing that Grandma Schultz especially noticed was that sometimes Evan will answer a question such as "are you ready for lunch?" or "is it time to go to bed?" with an emphatic nod or shake of the head. She was really tickled the first time he answered her that way. At Christmas he would smile and laugh when you suggested something he wanted or liked, but didn't answer so intentionally.

Evan was introduced to a swimming pool during our vacation, which he very much enjoyed. All that water dedicated to playing! When it wasn't swim time, he liked to lay on his belly and stick his hands in the water. He'd put them in one place, then get up and walk a few feet and lay down and stick his hands back in, up and down along the side of the pool. He wasn't too sure the first time Daddy wanted to take him out into the water, and he would have nothing to do with the floatation device we brought for him. But by the end of the week he and Daddy were having a great time playing all over the pool. He also enjoyed just sitting on the step and playing with his bath toys. Even when he got cold, he was never ready to get out of the pool.

Another thing we noticed during vacation is a new-found interest in birds and airplanes. Before, we've tried to point them out but have never been sure he sees them. But all that week, he pointed out planes as they flew overhead (which was often, since our condo was very near the little Scottsdale municipal airport). He also had fun chasing birds at the parks we played at, and one afternoon followed a rabbit all around the grounds of the condo.

One day we went to the Phoenix Zoo. Evan was more interested in the ordinary birds and the popcorn than in the exotic animals in the cages, until we came to the macaw. He was fascinated, and suddenly started squawking back at it from where he was sitting on Grandma's shoulders. It was hilarious! In the petting zoo he was pretty cautious, but enjoyed petting a goat when Mama was holding on to him (the goat got the same cooing noise as Bentley).

The week after vacation, when Mama was picking him up at daycare, his caregiver said, "Does he know where his nose and eyes are? Today I was asking another boy to point to his nose and I saw Evan a short ways away touch his nose." I tried it, and was thrilled that he responded. When I told the whole thing to Daddy at dinner, we tried it out again, and again Evan touched his nose. Then I said, "Where are your eyes, Evan?" And he touched his nose. So I said, "Where are your ears, Evan?" Again, his nose. We laughed and laughed, and of course Evan kept touching his nose.

That weekend his Nana and Papa were here to visit and we told her the whole story. And I guess she got right to work with him, because as we were eating Sunday dinner just before they left, she told me he can point to his nose and his ears now.

In March, Mama taught Evan a new game: "Ring Around the Rosy." Now Evan will come up to us every once in a while and grab our hands and start circling. He is especially delighted when Mama and Daddy both play. He loves to hear us sing in unison, and thinks it's hilarious when we both fall down. He also got a new parking garage, a purchase from the WINGS resale shop, and he has lots of fun collecting all his cars on the upper level (Mama has counted 17 cars in Evan's collection!) Evan also seems to have chosen a "blankie" from the many stuffed animals and blankets in his crib, and Mama is delighted that it is a blanket which used to be hers when she was a baby.

Another first which Mama is pretty happy about is that Evan has started picking up his toys at the end of playtime. He needs lots of help and prompting, but last night, for instance, Mama told him he could have his bath if he helped put the toys back in the toy box. Climbing is another new skill he is working on. We keep catching him standing up on his fire engine or climbing onto the dishwasher door while one of us is packing the dishwasher. Last week we looked downstairs just in time to see Evan go head first into the toy box--it was hilarious to see his little legs sticking up in the air.

In late March, Grandma and Grandpa Schultz came to visit. As soon as Evan saw them at the airport baggage claim, he broke into a huge grin and started to giggle. He remembered them! At home, we quickly found that he specifically remembered that Grandma was the one who always took him outside in the morning (quite clear from his demands) and that Grandpa was the one who took him on walks. (Of course, Bentley had learned that years ago.)

While Grandma and Grandpa were here, we all visited with Kristin's Aunt Pat, Uncle John, and cousins Becky and Jeff and Steve, Karla, Max, and Eva. This was the first time we'd seen Eva since she was born shortly before Christmas, and Evan thought she was pretty cool. Evan and Max had a great time playing basketball in Max's driveway with Steve and Jeff, and we all had a big dinner at a Greek restaurant at a nearby mall where Evan kept us all busy walking him around--both inside and outside the restaurant.

Grandma and Grandpa and Mama took Evan to the Brookfield Zoo for the first time. Evan was more excited by the waterfalls and fountains than by the animals, though he did watch the brown bear play in his pool for a long time. Grandma, Grandpa, and Mama really enjoyed the primate house, but Evan just wanted to stay at the waterfall. It was a beautiful, warm day early in the Spring, and it was nice to be able to get out and around.

Evan has really taken a liking to toy cars, especially matchbox cars, which are just the right size for his little hands. Grandma's friend from Omaha sent a set of toy tractors and farm equipment that Evan found fascinating. Evan has also started taking note of large vehicles (real ones): school busses, trucks, and motorcycles in particular.

Evan continues to pay close attention to airplanes, now including the large jets that fly over our home in Palatine on their way to O'Hare airport. On some days, the flights pass directly overhead quite frequently (but not too close), and Evan pauses whatever he's doing to look up and point at each one--whether it's visible or not. Neither cloudy skies nor being indoors stops his notice. He'll point up at the sky even when we can barely hear the plane. Grandma Schultz and Mama gave Evan a toy airplane, but unfortunately it soon found its way to the bottom of the toy box.

Evan has begun to take an interest in helping out and doing the things that Mama and Daddy are doing. He loves to push buttons on the dishwasher and microwave, to close doors for us, and to help put clothes in the washer and dryer. Mama and Daddy gave him a Fisher Price kitchen set for his play room which he loves to play with. He makes the most interesting imaginary dishes using innovative ingredients from around the house: matchbox cars, little toy birds, and toy traffic signals often join fake plastic food in his microwave oven or cooking pots. When we do the laundry in the utility room next to our family room, Evan insists on being held so that he can see into the washer while it fills up with water and then starts sloshing the clothes around. He also likes to rinse the extra detergent out of the cup for Mama.

Evan continues to delight us (and sometimes stretch our patience to its limits). He's a busy boy, interested in everything and growing quickly! We are all excited that spring is finally on its way, so we can spend more time outside.