My Favorite 1st-year moment: Julian.

Melody and I agreed to share our favorite memory from Evie's first year...

I always wondered how much you can really know a person at six months. Watching her motor skills develop and personality bud, that’s not what surprised me. I've observed these before in other children, albeit seeing them this closely was especially curious, it’s not what surprised me. I entered the room, plainly as ever. She noticed me come in, and smiled. She recognized me. I don't mean she recognized me in the way she might recognize her, say, bottle, it wasn't that she simply identified me, she remembered me. It was more the way you might recognize an old friend in the supermarket. It was a smile, not just delight (again, the way she recognizes her bottle), but relief and amusement and nostalgia. You… I almost whispered to myself, astonished…remember me? I always wondered how much you can know a person a six months, I had never even considered how much a person at six months can know you. And that’s love, isn’t it? To be known.

- J

1st Birthday Wish.

As you may or may not know, during a recent family trip to CA, we found out the unexpected news that my sister's son, my handsome 3-year-old nephew, Dylan Joe (DJ), was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia. After finding out that Thursday, DJ was admitted to the the Children's Hospital of Orange County and promptly began chemo the following day. We thank God that his body has been responding well to the treatments so far, but there is still much to do both for him and others fighting against various cancers.

With that said, Julian and I (with Evie in tow) will be participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night 5K Walk on Saturday, October 3 in NYC. It looks like a very special event that helps to raise funds for research, treatments and resources for patients and families of those affected with blood cancers. We've created the team GO GO DYLAN JOE in honor of DJ! 

In lieu of gifts for Evie's 1st birthday, we are asking for donations to support this important cause.

Here is a link for info about Light the Night Walk:

http://www.lightthenight.org/

Here is a link to the team page:

http://pages.lightthenight.org/nyc/Queens15/GOGODYLANJOE

Thank you so much.

- M

Loddy Doddy.

A rockin gift from Tita Crees.

Dada All Day Every Day.

There are many things that Julian is good at: making a mean marinara from scratch, busting out old school lyrics and trivia, falling asleep at any time in any place in any position, mastering the done-yet-not-done hairdo, preventing any leftovers, making sure no one is left out, awaking from a deep sleep just in time for his stop on the train, choosing the perfect dessert for a meal, speaking truth with love, encouraging the discouraged, and providing a worthy competitor (or unmatched partner) in all games.

Above all, he's a faithful lover of Jesus, which then makes him a wonderful husband, which then overflows to our beloved Evangeline.  He gets sad when she often lunges towards me, but we both know she's totally a "Daddy's girl."



My heart melts watching him swoon over her and vice-versa.  She looks at him and smiles her wide toothless smile because with him she feels loved and safe.  My hope is that the security in her daddy points her to the greater security in her Heavenly Father.



What a blessing you are to us.  So thankful that you love the Lord, so that you'll better know how to love our family.  No wonder Evie has been constantly singing your praises these days!




A very happy Father's Day to you, my dear.  We love you!  Now let's get some ice cream! 

Deuces!
- M & e

Evangeline’s Tips for a Happy Life.

I’m almost eight months now and I can honestly say I’m living the life I want. Here are a few tips I’ve come to find work for me:

Eat well. It’s simple: eating well makes you feel well. Make sure you have an on-call mommy, one who is available in the wee hours of the night but will still get up at the crack of dawn to break your fast. When she knows she’s going out, she prepares meals in advance. She works very hard to keep my cheeks looking their fullest, even if it means cutting back on sleep.

Baths are essential. I take a few a week to keep me feeling my best. Mommy always makes sure the temperature is just right. She puts my favorite toys in and chats with me while she scrubs my head and back. She finishes with an oatmeal lotion and a massage. She delivers every time and is never tired!

Play! Games are vital to keeping a healthy brain, so make sure your mommy knows how to make a game out of anything, everything from putting on clothes (the worst) to making old toys feel new again. When your mommy is as clever as mine, you know you’re making the most out of playtime. (Note: I also recommend a mommy who can think of songs on the spot, like her surprise hit “These Are My Toes.” A diverse playlist makes even the toughest days fly by. Have your mommy learn to incorporate tickles and kisses to up the fun factor). Where does she even find the energy?!

Travel often. My mommy takes me on walks almost every day. My favorite is the carrier, she leaves me things like her necklace or her hair within reach for me to pull on if I get bored. She says running used to be her “me time” (I don’t understand…is there any other kind of time?), but she started taking me with her. It’s like she doesn’t need any rest at all!

 
                       

When I wake up, she’s there. When I go to sleep, she’s there. She knows what I need, often before I even know it, and always before Daddy knows it. Life for me isn’t always easy (sometimes it’s very easy), but she’s definitely the reason my life is a happy one.

- E

A Mother's Day Special.

Every Year.

Engagement, Dec 2010

“Every year has been different,” she said. This is why vows are so important--Our first year was job, then no job, then job, then no job. Our second included surgery and a return to school. Our third (it goes without saying) a wrecking ball to life as we knew it--and more than just convention, because every year is different, circumstances subject to change, but for a marriage to flourish devotion must stay the same.

-J