Play Date!

Well, Evie finally met her match! MYLA! We had a 'play date' at Rafaela's house today with Ian, Myla, Payten, and Evie. Evie is Miss EnErGy - usually other kids her age are a little . . . overwhelmed! I think Evie and Myla wore each other out! It was hilarious to see them interact! They are both at the funnest age, and doing the funniest things! Eve was in Heaven!

Thanks again Rafaela for being the hostess! It was great to get out! :)

Snow Day!

This snow has been CRAZY! I honestly can't remember a time when it snowed this much at once! I'm loving it :)

Last night Evie and I were feeling a little "cooped" so we went outside with Braden while he shoveled snow! I put some blankets in an old sled we have and pulled Evie around our yard. She didn't know what to think! This is her 1st time 'playing' in snow!

Champs!

Thought I would give a quick shout out to Braden's Flag Football team! They won the "Championship!" a few weeks ago HAHA :) Go Team! GO TEAM GO!

My Girl . . . Talkin' 'bout My girl

Ok, lets face it - Braden and I were blessed with the most beautiful little girl . . . EVER! I'm loving this stage of her life SO much! She cracks us up! I was going through my camera and a good portion of her pictures she's doing that "Cheese Face!" big time! I just love them!

Lately Evie:

• L.O.V.E.S. her Princess Mobile! She will sit on that thing for hours if we let her! She loves us to push her around on it and she will bob her head to the music that it plays! And just recently she started scooting around on it - her feet barely touch the ground when she's sitting on it, so she leans to one side and pushes with one foot! We're in love w/ her!
• Throws her amrs in the air and waits for us to say, "BBBIIIGGG GGGIIIRRRLLL!" I'm telling you, she can hear those two words from a mile away and her amrs shoot up in the air - she want's ALL to know she's a 'BIG GIRL'! ;)
• When we laugh at her she does this fake laugh back! I can look at her and go, "Ahh ha ha ha" and she will do the funniest fake laugh you've ever heard!
• Does SUPER great with her hearing aids! We're such proud parents! She doesn't even take them out {miracle}!
• Almost has the walking down! She's been sick for the past 2 weeks almost, so now that she's feeling better I think she's going to take right off!
• Points to herself and says, "Dada" then points to dada and says, "Dada"! I think 'Evie' is too hard to say! We'll have to come up w/ something easier for now!

I'm just loving my little Evie Grace to pieces! I wish I could jump inside her brain right now and see what she's thinking and hearing! She's trying so hard to say new words and do new things! It's so awesome to see them discover the world!

LOVE YOU EVIE GIRL!

Happy Birthday to Me

Yep, I turned 22 on Nov 23 . . . I FEEL LIKE A BABY! Braden got me those fancy boots {love them} and I also got some clothes/jewelry from my parents and in-laws. It was a great day! We ate at Cafe Rio for dinner then went to Farrs Fresh for ice cream {thanks for everyone who came and ate ice cream w/ us - I felt special!} That's about it! Birthdays aren't as exciting as they used to be - what's up with that!?

New Hearing Aids

{The first place we went after we got her hearing aids was Chili's for some lunch! She sat in her chair and listened to all the noises! She kept dancing to the music and bobbing her head to the beat! It was awesome :) }

Evie got her 1st set of hearing aids on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 (the day before her 1st birthday)! They are pink and have clear sparkly ear molds.
I'm going to be honest (don't think I'm awful) but I was not excited about this at all! I was only excited for Evie to hear better - hearing aids, not so much! I was nervous! Nervous they would make Evie look 'different', make her look 'weird', put a stamp on her that says, "I'm Deaf!" or "I have a problem". I also worried about her pulling at them, pulling them off, chewing on them, etc!
I tried to research the hearing aids that her audiologist had ordered so the appointment wouldn't be as overwhelming. I've talked to tons of other moms to get info as well. I HATE feeling overwhelmed and unprepared (which were the exact feelings I had when we found out about her hearing loss).
Braden and I took Evie on Thursday to pick up her hearing aids and try them out for the first time. IT WENT GREAT! Evie is still the same ole' Evie! To me, they don't make her look any different at all! It's obvious that they are there, but it's obvious that my Evie is still the same.
When we first turned the hearing aids on, Evie was sitting on her dad's lap. She just sat there and starred. She didn't move an inch or say a word for a good 5 minutes. THEN she started clapping! We loved it :) We went into the hearing booth where they play noises and see what Evie responds to. She responded multiple times at 10db . . . which is a whisper! Our audiologist said that she didn't think she could even get Braden to pass at that! Pretty awesome! I realized that these hearing aids aren't making her different, they are making her the same!
The even greater news is that she keeps them on ALL DAY LONG! She never even messes with them! I think she's enjoying being able to hear! It's been really cool! I sang happy birthday to her after I'd put them in and she bobbed her head as I sang. It was so cute.
I have noticed a lot of uncomfortably long starring eyes. I wish people would just ask instead of stare! It's awkward! BUT it's not like I don't get it - I was/am a starrer too! You can't blame people for wondering, it just makes for some awkward Wal-Mart shopping time. And I'm sure it will get better! Right now it's all I think about, so it's only natural that I would feel like EVERYONE is staring! And they should be, I have the most adorable daughter EVER! :)

Happy Evie = Happy Mom and Dad

(I forgot my camera for the appointment, but we have an awesome audiologist and she let me use hers - she's making me a CD - I'll post them soon)

THE 1st Party

My beautiful little baby girl turned 1 yesterday on November 5th, 2010! Extremely weird, VERY bittersweet! Have I absorbed every minute of this past year . . . I hope so! I love her so much! (When I say "I love her so much" I mean, EVERYONE loves her so much!) She is one loved little girl! She has the most addicting personality and she's crazy adorable!
Here are a few things about Evie, the 1 year old princess:

• 6 . . . S.I.X. teeth (4 of which came in at the same time!)
• Walking (she took her first steps on Nov. 1st, 2010)
• Jibber Jabbering all day
• Bobs her head to music
• LOVES (as always) her dad THE most; she looks SO forward to him coming home from work! It's become my favorite time of the day just to see Evie so excited :)
• Got her first (pink and sparkly) hearing aids on Nov. 4th, 2010, and is doing GREAT with them!
• Loves peanut butter and honey sandwiches with a sippy of 2% milk!
  OFF the bottle :) . . . working on the binky still . . .
• Loves attention! She'll gets SUPER hyper and shows everyone all her tricks @ once if she has an audience!
• (My favorite) She points @ everything! We say, "Where is ma ma?" "Where are the dogs?" "Where is grandma?" etc etc etc and she points to them!
• Likes to stand on her head and look @ you through her legs. She's even somersaulted a few times!

Now to the {overdone} PAR-TAY! My mom and I had so much fun planning and decorating Evie's 1st birthday party! We had a great turn out! Evie got SO MANY new toys/clothes/books/blankies/etc! She's spoiled rotten! Here are some picts from the party of the century!

{DeCorAtiOnS}

{Kai, Jaycee, Evie}

{Birthday toy from Grandma Morton}

{Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday dear Evie}

{1st birthday cake. . . . yummmmm}

{presents . . . THANKS EveRyOne!}

{my sweet mom! couldn't do it without her!}

Evie's 1st HaLLoWeeN :)

{I realize this picture is awful, but it's the only family picture we had}

My little pigglet Evie! I love this chubby little costume! I swear you just wanted to pick Evie up and love and squish her! She looked adorable in her piggy costume! Braden and I were decked out in our 'Grease Lightenin' attire. I couldn't take Braden seriously with his hair in a comb-over.

We didn't do anything too eventfull! We went 'trick or treating' to 4 people :) Each of our parents, my aunt, and my grandma! Whoo! And we didn't take any treats either - we told them we were bringing the treat; and it was Evie the pig!

If you can't tell by the pictures, Evie was so worn out! It had been a long day and she didn't get too excited about the whole Halloween thing this year!

Happy Halloween!

9 more days . . . .

In 9 more days my baby is going to be a 'big girl'! That's how I feel! In 9 more days my Evie will be 1 year old! TOO. WeIrD. for. THE. mOm. I seriously don't understand! That was THE fastest year of my entire life! By far much faster than the last year, when I was pregnant, when time seemed to D.R.A.G! Time is such a weird thing.

My cousin, Shelli http://greeneinkphotos.blogspot.com/, did Evie's 1st year pictures yesterday! My auntie, Lexus, came with us, and we had so much fun! We ended up doing her picts. @ the new SpringHill Suites, Marriott (it's totally funky and fun in there)! It has been SO cold outside! And I'm so glad Shelli thought to do them there - SUCH a great idea! The style of the hotel matched Evie's funky outfit perfectly! The whole setting was very 'Evie-ish' aka ExTreMelY SpUnKy! Evie L.O.V.E.S. attention (as do most children) and was having a blast w/ the photo shoot! "All eye's on Evie" is Evie's motto . . . I KNOW it is :)

I love my baby girl! She's such a 'go-get-errr'! I'm so happy that she's here on this earth with Braden and I. Healthy. Happy. Beautiful. PERFECT. Evie is such a special girl, her Heavenly Father sent her to this earth to be with us (her parents) - to help US love, learn, and grow MORE than we ever would have without her. I KNOW, without a doubt, that Evie is here for a special purpose. We've had too many special things happen since she came to us for her not to be on an amazing journey. Since we found out about Evie's hearing loss - it was like before I had time to seek information it was hitting me in the face! A.l.w.a.y.s. and still is! THE BEST information out there is readily available at my fingertips. THE BEST people, professionals, and support are at our sides right now. It's amazing. Truly Amazing. I know that everything happens for a reason. I know this priceless information we are getting is to HELP Evie become the person she needs to be. A Wonderful Person. A Unique Person. A Beautiful Person, inside and out

It's hard to imagine that Braden and I have been sent such a precious jewel from Heaven! I thank Heavenly Father each and every day! We are SO blessed! What a beauty queen for a daughter, right!?

EVA (Update on Miss E)

OK, I'm feeling like I need to update everyone on the latest with our Evie girl! Last week we spent 3 out of 5 days in Salt Lake City @ Primary Children's! UGH! Longest 3 days ever . . . for all of us! We found out some 'news', good news, not great news, hard news, confusing news, etc etc etc. Here is how it all went down! Day 1 of 3: Evie had an MRI of her brain/ears to see if there is anything structurally wrong with her inner ears. After the MRI, while in recovery, they did another Auditory Brain stem Response test. Both of these tests are done while your child is sedated :( Probably spent a good 7 hours there that day!
Day 2 of 3: We met with a Geneticist and her ENT, where they explained to us that Evie has a moderate hearing loss in both ears AND has LVA (Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct). It's this tiny little tube in our ears, and hers is enlarged, aiding in the cause of her hearing loss (picture @ bottom). The good news, is that this only effects the ears. We don't have to worry about her eyes or any other kind of syndromes associated with hearing loss. The bad news is that this can be progressive. The overwhelming part is that it can progress SUPER fast, super slow or not at all - we just have to play the 'waiting game'! I'm praying that for her it doesn't progress at all!!! Just as we were leaving the hospital the doctor called Braden's cell phone and says, "I just got a call from radiology, please come back!" Then we find out that her MRI showed some 'spots' on her brain, they didn't know what they were so they ordered a CT scan immediately! Talk about roller coaster! Since we knew Evie wasn't going to 'hold completely still' for 5 minutes while getting the x-ray they had to sedate her AGAIN! This time it was the worst for us because she was awake but totally out of it! She started giggling and trying to wave at us and I just wanted to pick her up and cry! The test results showed that it was 'nothing' . . .
Day 3 of 3: Hearing aid evaluation. This was SO hard for me. Harder than I thought it would or could ever be. The audiologist kept saying, "This is the 'fun' part, picking out colors and ear molds!!" It really wasn't fun at all. I had a hard time picking colors and getting into it. Which is really hard for me to even admit, but it's the truth. That's when all of this became a reality for me. My sweet little baby has to wear these hearing aids for the rest of her life. I felt sorry for Evie a good portion of the way home that day. Then I started thinking about the past few days - while we were waiting for Evie's MRI there was this lady in the waiting room who was feeding her baby through a feeding tube with syringes. Now that is a lifetime commitment if I ever saw one! Evie's hearing loss is seriously nothing she or I can't handle! Worst case, she losses her hearing completely, we have options! 100% deaf people with cochlear implants actually HEAR! Pretty freaking amazing.

Evie will have her pink/glitter hearing aids Nov. 4th, the day before she turns the big 1 year old!

Life is SO crazy! (Random nothings)

Lately I feel like we're ALWAYS 'On The GO'! I feel like I can never catch my breath! Evie time, work work work, Braden's sports (right now it's b-ball and football), tons of quilts/quilting, cleaning house, appointments for Evie, Evie's 'hearing consultant' comes over, etc etc etc! Eeek!
I usually handle stress VERY well! Which, is super awesome for me! My mind can usually wrap around all of it somehow, but my body . . . NOPE, not having this stress! So, have this lovely sore throat, head ache and body aches! YES! We're actually on the up and up now though! SO glad!

AND who said Evie could turn 1 so fast! That's completely unfair! SO I'm throwing her the best 1st birthday any one's ever seen! I'll have to post pictures of these adorable pict. frames I'm making for it :) :) And Christmas . . . whaaa!!!!???? When did summer sneak away? TOO weird!

Can I also just say that I need to diet/exercise . . . in a bad way! I tried the HCG drops . . . for a week! In my defense, I think that diet is too extreme for someone trying to lose a smaller amount of weight. The hardest part about it for me was the lack (NO) of carbs. I love bread . . . with a sick freaking passion! If there was a bread diet I would do it in a heart beat! Anyone see a problem here . . . ya, I know! So if anyone knows a good diet (that is logical) let me know! I love Weight Watchers, but with all the chaos in our lives right now I doubt I'd be very faithful to the 'weighing in' once a week - which is the only reason I do good on that diet in the first place!

Sorry to rant and rave! :) Sometimes it does a girl good! AND Even thought our life is crazy, I really wouldn't change a thing (except to be skinnier)! I believe we are given different experiences in life to better ourselves.

Soak up the good times, learn from the hard times and always be thankful for the many blessings we have!

ENT (Exciting News, Thanks!) or Ear, Nose and Throat . . .

Evie and her daddy @ the doctor {love her face}

So Evie had an appointment with an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist on Friday, October 8th! We weren't even sure why we were going to him before getting hearing aids, we were just following directions! Supposedly her ABR results were consistent with fluid in her middle ear, which was confusing to me because I think they would have seen that before now! BUT that was not the case, anyways. So we're in the waiting room and thinking, 'ok, they'll call us any minute now', well, right about that same time, Evie decides to poop her pants! YAY!

Braden: Is she . . .

Whitney: Yep

We just started laughing. We took our stinky babe into the bathroom and she yelled and screamed the whole time we were holding her down on the changing table! Nightmarish!

We finally get called in to Dr. Parks office! His 'assistant' came in and wanted us to give him a little 'history' of Evie. When we told him about all her 'bells and whistles' he was shocked! He couldn't believe her vocabulary and alertness. He said he wanted us to have a behavioral test and another OAE done before we saw the doctor. As it turns out, there was an audiologist available to do one right then! The {impatient} audiologist did the OAE in Evie's RIGHT ear and she P.A.S.S.E.D . . . . . she's never passed. She PASSED!!!!! :o) She even did a little better in her left ear too!

So we went back to Dr. Parks office and he didn't really do all that much. He pulled some ear wax out, which Eve HATED and then told us some amazing news! He said that he thinks her right ear is better than what we've been told. Possibly, not certainly, a perfectly normal hearing ear! SUPER GREAT! {It gets better} She may not need hearing aids at all! Even though she is severly deaf in her left ear, if her right ear turns out to be fine, they don't usually put a hearing aid on the bad ear if there is a good ear. He said it's like a person who is blind in one eye and see's perfect in the other. Why wear glasses? You're still going to use your good eye to see.

SO, just FYI, I'm not getting my heart set on Evie not having hearing aids. I think it still is a possibility and I am totally ok with that! BUT it would be really neat if she didn't need them!

We are going back out to Primary Children's in 2 weeks for another ABR . . . sad (I hate seeing Evie be sedated) and they will do an MRI of the brain at the same time! Isn't technology cool! Yes, it is! Then the next day we'll go back to Dr. Parks office to talk about the results of the tests and see what the best solution is.

I felt like I was prepared this time to hear whatever they had to throw at us. I'm glad it was finally something good! Even if hearing aids end up being the best option, I'm happy that she is hearing better in her right ear.



Evie did get some pretty cute things out of this trip, if nothing else! We got some super cute things for her 'Pinkalicious' 1st birthday party! I went a little overboard shopping for 'Evie clothes' . . . :) When we were @ the checkout Braden told the cashier that we weren't going to have enough money to buy food now . . . . hahaha He loves to make a fool out of me!

Evie Grace is 11 Months Old! (wait, what!?)

I know, I say it every time . . . but I still don't believe it! How do they grow up so fast!? I can't believe that Miss Evie is almost ONE whole YEAR old! I'm trying to wrap my head around it! This past month has been a BUSY one! Evie is always on the move and it's so fun {exhausting, but very fun}! We LOVE our little bundle of spunk! This is the funnest age!

A "few" things about Evie @ 11 months old:

• She LOVES her da da SO much! We wait on the front porch for him to get home, and when he pulls into the driveway she almost hyperventilates! {Braden LOVES it} Then she won't go back to ma ma for a good hour or so! She even has to get in the shower with him or it's CRAZY Evie!
• Evie points at people/things and names them {ie: da da, ma ma, grrma, grrpa, bar aka car}
• She has 3 (almost 4) teeth! They are the biggest 'baby' teeth I've ever seen! OUCH!
• She eats anything you put in front of her! Even lemons!
• She's SO happy!
• She climbs the stairs!
• She waves and says, "Bye, Bye" like a pro! And does this at least 50+ times a day!
• LOVES being outside! Once we're out there it's hard to get her back inside without a fit! {likes eating dirt, playing in dirt, playing in my flower pots, picking/ eating grass}
• Her pretty hair is finally coming in . . . THICK too! I'm loving having a little hair on that head to curl!
• Understanding simple commands, like, "Evie, throw the ball!" and, "Give ma ma the keys!"

I usually have to stop myself, because this list goes ON AND ON! As far as the hearing loss goes, we have an appointment with an ENT this weekend! CAN'T WAIT! But she seems to be staying caught up, I still have a hard time believing she's hard of hearing! Kathy Johnson, Evie's hearing consultant, came over two times last week! She's such a sweet lady! She's so cute with Evie and told us so much good information! I'm glad to have resources like her!

Well, until next time . . . {which will be weird} because Evie will be ONE whole YEAR old, hopefully I'll get some other posts in before then!

Also, thinking about having a "Pinkalicious" 1st birthday party for Miss Evie! All things pink! Or maybe pink polka dots and monkeys! Or maybe a cupcake theme! Or who knows! Any fun ideas?

"Hear" we go!

These past few weeks have been OVERWHELMING . . . to say the least! I feel like I've had an 'information overload' learning about children with hearing loss. BUT it's been great! Evie meets with an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist @ Primary Childrens on Oct. 1st! THEN we'll get the clearance for a hearing aid evaluation! THEN we'll get molds made of her tiny winy ears for hearing aids to be made! THEN we'll wait for the hearing aids to get here! THEN she'll have more tests done to make sure she's hearing WoNdErFuLLy as she possibly can! :)
So, in the meantime Braden and I were thinking . . . ok, what now!? Yell at her so she can hear us until the hearing aids are here? What can she even hear? What do we do? Should we change how we communicate with her!? Do we WAIT for the hearing aids to be here?
And then . . . a MiRaCle happened . . . .
My mom, just recently, started keeping in touch with a friend from 5th GRADE! (5th grade people). Who, ironicly, has 2 children with coclear implants (used when hearing loss is severe to profound), AND is the president (I think) of the Nevada chapter of some program for parents of deaf or hard of hearing children. ANYWAYS, Like a day after we found out about Evie's hearing loss (at the time pretty much no one knew but us), this lady (from 5th grade) sent my mom a package with a magazine that had some pages flagged w/ sticky notes. So my mom is going through this magazine and the first note says, "Just thought you might find this article interesting, this is so much a part of me." It was an article w/ questions and answers for parents just finding out about their childs hearing loss. SO GREAT! But the greatest part of it all, is we called my moms friend to get some more info and she hooked me up with a lady she knows from http://www.jtc.org/ and gave me her number, and here is the most EnCouRaGiNg information she told me:

3 most important things to do with your child while waiting for hearing aids (BUT I think this really applies to any infant - it's very basic, but very effective)

• Talk close to them. Don't be further than 1ft away when trying to communicate. Speak with clarity, don't yell, and don't exagerate your lip movements.
• TALK and TALK and TALK to them. Tons of conversation! Explain and narrorate everything going on around you. Talk until people around you are thinking, "Geez lady, are you ever going to shut up?!"
• SING to them! Singing imitates speech. It will help them learn high and low, loud and soft, and rythem. You can also turn on music - any music (dance too)!

I love Evie so much! This journey is just begining for all of us. I have a much better attitude towards it NOW than I did before! Educating myself is the KEY! There is so much the I can do as her parent to help her. It excites me, and also makes me nervous! Yay for technology :)

Evie Grace is 10 Months Old!

**Evie and her friend, Talia Nelson**

**Bobbing her head to Dad's tunes**

**Ice Cream Sandwich @ Grandma's House**

Evie inches closer and closer to a year old every day. It's freaking me out how fast they grow up! Like slow down, will ya!? BUT it's so much fun to see her discover herself and become a little person! She's amazing to me! I'm so happy to have her in our lives. What a little piece of Heaven! Since we found out about Evie's hearing loss last week, I've seriously been overwhelmed at what an amazing child we've been blessed with. Only chosen few are given trials like hers - what a special girl! Anyone who has been around Evie knows that she was given an extra special personality! She's our little ball of energy and charm! I know that she can handle anything that life has to offer her.
Here are a few special things about our sweetheart at 10 (seriously) months old:

• Always on the move! She follows me throughout the house and 'helps' me do everything! She especially loves doing dishes :)
  
• Her vocabulary consists of the following: ma ma, da da dada, no no, pa pa, bye bye (and that's just what we understand) She carries on some serious converstaions!
  
• When she wakes up (even from naps) and I come to get her out of her crib she gets SO excited she jumps back and rolls over, burries her head, screams and giggles! (I look forward to it everyday!)


• She really wants to walk! She can balance for a few seconds but then gets a concerned look on her face and sits back down.
  
• She has a different crawl for every room in the house. Living room (hardwood floors) she does this one-legged crawl/scoot, dining room/kitchen (tile floors) she will not let her knees touch the ground! She crawls on her hands and feet only (smart girl)! And the rest of the house has carpet - she usually manages a normal crawl there.
  
• She LoVeS her daddy! When he gets home from work she gets extatic and cralws right to him and puts her arms in the air like 'dad pick me up!'
  
• Braden will put music on his phone and put it up to her ear and she bobs her head with the music!
  
• When the flash on a camera goes off she gives us a major cheesy two bottom teeth grin! Hopefully she'll start cheesing it beforehand!

Evie is just a joy! This age is so much fun! I'm so thankful that Evie is ours! We love her to pieces! :)

ABR

On Tuesday, Evie had her first A (auditory) B (brainstem) R (response test) at Primary Children's Medical Center. What a day! We needed this test to see what Evie is and isn't hearing, because she hasn't been able to pass any of the tests done on her so far.

Evie had to come to the test, deprived of food and sleep because they had to partially sedate her (so sad). By the time they finally administered the sedation medication Evie was falling asleep no matter what we did! Not to mention the poor babe hadn't eaten anything since the night before @ 10:30pm. ANYWAYS, the testing began! We sat in a dark room in silence for 2 hours! They try to keep things as quiet as possible, so we had no idea how the test was going the entire time! But in my mind, we were only doing this test to prove that she hears fine. Which, as it turns out, is NOT the case! Evie has significant hearing loss in both ears. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. I am just amazed with how smart Evie is for having such a major hearing loss. She is right up to speed with any other 10 month old. I am so proud of her!

Hearing that something is wrong with your child is honestly one of the hardest things to take in. At first all I could do was cry. You just want your child to feel normal - to be normal. BUT being in Primary Children's Hospital is a humbling experience. We saw SO many babies and children who have MAJOR health problems and disabilities. Evie's hearing loss is something that CAN be fixed. It will be hard for her at times, but throughout this week I've learned that certain people are given different trials in life to better them. If anyone could handle a hearing loss, it's Evie. She has the most up-beat and spunky personality. I know she won't let it hold her back.

I'm so glad we were able to find this out NOW! Technology is amazing! The people who do these kinds of tests are truly Heaven sent! The knowledge that they have is priceless!

What the future holds: Next month we are meeting with an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist @ Primary Children's to re-evaluate the test results that we just got. From there we'll go to a Hearing Aid Evaluation then another ABR, and somewhere in all that we want to have genetic testing done to see what has caused her this hearing loss.

Thank you everyone for your support and love :)

Back to ScHoOL . . .

Tomorrow is Maddie's last day babysitting Evie :( We're SO sad! I even asked her mom if she HAD to go back to school. I mean really, who remembers a thing from Jr. High? All I remember is 'holding hands', being awkward around boys, and taking that crazy baby home, that cried like an elephant, for 'Teen Living'.

Maddie has been the best babysitter we could have asked for! At the beginning of the summer, Evie was JUST becoming a 'normal' baby. She still had some miserable days! So I was SOOO nervous about having a babysitter besides my mom - just because it's stressful to babysit a baby, let alone an extremely fussy baby.

BUT when Maddie came over for the first day, Evie's little eyes lit up! (She only does that with certain few) And well, it was LoVe at first sight! Haha Evie has so much fun with Maddie. And STILL when Maddie comes over Evie gets this big grin on her face! It's been such a relief to have someone who takes great care of Evie. I made her the cutest quilt for helping me this summer!

I have the best babysitter(s) ever! (My mom watches Evie too - which is also AwEsOmE!)

We'll miss you Maddie - you're the best!

LoVe

Evie has been cracking me up lately! She’s DiScOvErInG the world and I’m so lucky to be a part of it! Evie got this book at the doctor last Friday called, “Global Babies”. She LoVeS! It just has pictures of babies in it – she talks to them, yells at them and pats every one of them on the head. So funny! She’s such a sweetheart! She is growing up TOO TOO fast! It feels like she was just an itty bitty baby like YeSteRdAy! And I really don’t even feel like she’s my baby anymore – she’s like a big girl! So SAD L BUT it’s also a good thing! Braden and I LoVe this age – we’ve been having so much fun with her! It’s so funny the things they pick up on!

I always make kissing noises to her - she's started doing that! We've been clapping our hands for her - she claps all the time now, even when she's upset!

Who knew you could love someone so much . . . . . . . . .

(After an Ice Cream Sundae . . . . maybe it was too much!)

Evis . . .

(After little Misses doctor appointment)

Our nephew, Jaxon, calls Evie, Evis! Like Bevus . . . but Evis! It cracks me up!

Anyways!

Today Evie and I went to her 9 month check up! Healthy as ever! She's moving up those charts - now in the 5th percentile; weighing 15 lbs! Which seems SUPER weird because she doesn't seem that much smaller than babies her age. Even our pediatrician couldn't believe it! But . . . she is Little Miss Deceiving because of those big chipmunk cheeks! They make her look like my little chubby babe! The rest of her body is so petite! She's a dolly!

Today they gave her the TB test and the poke on her foot to check her iron levels. She didn't even cry! We just gave her a sucker and she was so content! COOL! That always is a relief to mom!

Evie has been totally enjoying herself some F.O.O.D! Anything I eat - she wants! She downed a whole banana the other day - which must have not agreed with her system because a few minutes later - bam - dirty diaper! Just FYI for everyone! Haha!

Evie is into everything lately! She is such a stinker! She loves to be the center of attention! She is such a loud baby - I wouldn't have it any other way! We're always laughing at her!

Last weekend we went up to my family reunion at Moon Lake (beautiful!) and Evie learned the word 'Pop' - I feel like all we did was drink pop! She apparently felt the same way! Daddy was making sure she got her feel for it! In reality, family reunions should be called 'Stuff your faces' - but I'm not the one making the rules.

Haven't been to the gym in 2 weeks! Woo Woo! I'm feeling a little 'giggly'. Evie isn't loving the long stroller adventures anymore! :( I used to just go jog/walk while Braden lifted @ the rec center but Evie isn't having that anymore - and I am so unmotivated to go w/ out Braden. He keeps telling me to just go after he gets back - but what fun is that? All alone! No baby, no hubby? But I'm going to have to buckle down and do it anyways! I'm feeling like a giggly lady!

Braden and I have been playing co-ed softball with my work. I have been having a blast! Sometime I feel like we should be called Motards instead of Anadarko, but hey - that's ok! We won the first 2 games then have lost every game since! HAHAHA! Oh well :) Just so you can get a feel for our team - Last week during our second game I was sitting on the bench thinking to myself, "Wow - wonder if they think we signed up this year as a joke!" - RIGHT THEN one of our teammates tripped over first base! It was so awesome! I was laughed so hard I cried! It was a full on 'knock down drag out' fall.

Well now that you know a little big of everything about whats been going on lately - I'm going to go put on some gym clothes and see if that motivates me to go for a walk! :)

Whitney

Evie Grace is 9 Months Old!

Man, does time fly! My tiny bean is 9 months old today! I can't even believe it! She's getting so big and smart and funny and full of life! Here are a few things about our little Evie bug at 9 months:

• 'Thinks' she can walk . . . she's still pretty far from!
• Crawls all over the house! She's really fast now! I can't take my eyes off her!
• She's still a head banging fool . . . which leads us into the next one . . .
• She head banged right on the edge of her crib! Ouchie right between her eyes!
• Did a nose dive into the hardwood floor (while 'walking')! Ouchie on her forehead!
• Likes to pull herself up on anything she can reach!
• LOVES real cell phones - not her play one!
• Claps her hands
• Has combined mama and papa and says, "Mamba" when daddy gets home!
• She loves reading the "Peekaboo" books
• Sleeping through the night 9pm to 9am! (Mom is loving her life)
• She gets so excited when her dad gets home from work she can't hardly stand it and has to bury her head in something! (Cutest thing ever)
• Loves being outside
• Loves when her dogs, Polar and Bear, lick her feet - she giggles and giggles!
• Getting quite the head of hair going on! Yahoo!
• Last but definitely not least . . . Evie is so smart! She amazes me everyday! We feel like she is a genius! She knows how to work all her toys and twist the knobs or spin the wheels! I can't even believe some of the things she figures out!

Evie is so happy now! She has the most unique, spunky, funny personality! I'm so happy she's ours! I'm so glad that her little belly and body finally started working better so she can be this fun little girl who feels GrEaT! LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!

Evie Grace is 8 Months Old!

Dear 8 month old Evie,

If I could freeze you in this moment, I would definitely think seriously about doing so! You are such a ball of fire right now! You have the MOST sPuNkY personality, and I am love love loving it! You are so precious to your dad and I. We love you more than you'll ever know!

Love you,

Mom

A few things about Evie at 8 months:

• Sitting up like a pro!
• Has 2 bottom teeth!
• Says, "Ma ma ma!"
• Says, "Ma ma, ba ba!" aka Mom feed me ASAP
• Says, "Gea!" We're not sure . . . Braden thinks it stands for Dad????? I'm sure . . .
• Loves getting a death grip on any of our facial features . . . very painful
• Loves uncle Cy
• Loves our heaven sent babysitter Maddie (she's awesome)
• LOVES being outside
• Helps dad feed the dogs every day!
• She is a head banger! She nods her head up and down when she's excited!
• Gets in the crawling position and rocks back and forth . . . she'll be crawling soon!
• Loves to stick her tongue out and spit at EveRyOnE!
• Very Very LOVED

Best July Treats

I am making these delicious chocolate covered strawberries tomorrow for a family bbq! The ingredients are obvious by looking @ the picture - I just made a few really quick to make sure they were going to work out for tomorrow . . . DELICIOUS! The blue sprinkles add just the right 'crunch' to the strawberries! MMM mmm MMM! They go together SUPER fast and are really appealing and fun for July!

Cousins

This is Miss Evie and her cousin Waylon! He's such a chunk! He weighs 23 lbs! Waylon is only a week older than Evie! I can't wait until all these little cousins can play together! So cute :)

Stitches

Before Tetanus Shot :)

After Tetanus Shot :(

Last week Braden took a softball to the chin! Oh what fun :) You can't really tell in the pictures, but it was a pretty deep slice! I saw the ball hit him in the chin, but he was in the outfield so I couldn't really tell what had happened or if he was ok. I assumed everything was fine because he kept right on playing. When they came in I walked over to make sure everything was good - oh, no worries, it was gushing blood and HE WANTED TO STAY AND FINISH THE GAME! I wouldn't have cared except no one could get it to stop! Eventually he gave in and we went to Urgent Care and he had to get 8 stitches + a tetanus shot! Braden said he would have rather taken another softball to the chin than the shot! They shot it right in the cut! UGH! But we're all fine and dandy now! Braden gets his stitches out tomorrow! Wahoo!

He's been telling people that he mouthed off to me and I punched him in the face! Oh boy(s)! In reality, I just wait for something like this to happen. It's bound to with a husband like mine! He plays sports like his life depends on it - if it means breaking your back to catch the ball . . . by all means break your back to get that ball!

Love you Braden :)

Mr.Robinson's First Father's Day

Boy! Evie and I are so glad AND lucky to have a husband/father like Braden! He's such a good daddy! This year was his 1st Father's Day AND he had to work :( Bummer! But I let him open his gifts early . . . . . . . . da da da da GYM SHORTS (even 2 pair)! Woo Hoo! That kid plays every sport in the book and he can never have too many!

A few things that make Braden so special to Evie and I:

• He LOVES us so much!
• He is so FUNNY!
• He loves being with EVIE - she's already got him wrapped around that itty bitty finger!
• He likes Jones Green APPLE Soda . . . and so does Evie!
• He WORKS hard to provide for us!
• He is so HANDY!
• He makes BOTTLES in the middle of the night, yes . . . STILL!
• HE IS THE BEST DAD EVER!

I seriously am so blessed to have Braden as my husband, and the father to my sweet baby girl. Happy 1st Father's Day Braden! We love you more than you can imagine!

Love,

Your 2 Favorite Girls