A Summer Update
Madalyn~
Madalyn will be eight weeks tomorrow and her two month appointment is drawing near. She also slept nine hours last night and is smiling, cooing, and "talking" now. She particularly lights up when she hears her daddy's voice and realizes he's home--
daddy's little girl, already!
Her eyes seem to get rounder and bluer each day. We love each roll and crease on her tiny little body, the deep dimple in her left cheek, and find her, much like Mary Poppins, "practically perfect in every way."
She's such a blessing, such a joy!
Evan~
Evan turns two August 30th. We can't believe it! We're heading to the beach this weekend to celebrate and Saturday will take him to Marine Land--just Daddy, Mommy, and Evan. Madalyn will stay at the condo for the grandparents and great-grandparents to fight over.
Evan has learned to count to ten and recognizes every number. He also knows every letter of the alphabet and the sound it makes. He recognizes numbers of things and will point out, "two clocks," or "two balloons...a red balloon and a blue balloon," he'll say.
When we ask, "Who's gonna win the election, John Kerry or George Bush?" He cheers, "George Bush!" A Conservative Poster Child. Politically brain-washed at the age of two--shame on us!
He loves, loves, loves the beach, (Nana now has a condo,) and the pool there as well.
Evan also loves, loves, loves his sister, we are most delighted to report. He cuddles her and talks to her in a baby-voice. He calls her, "Mah," and sometimes, "Mah-mah." He also refers to her as his "sister," and as the "baby," and gets very upset with me when I lift her up while he's playing with her. "Baby down, baby down," he'll cry, wanting me to lie her back down again.
When Shaun's parents were here we tried to explain to him that Grandpa is daddy's daddy, so he quickly began to call him, "da-daddy." I guess grandpa's been re-named. Of course that was the same way "Honey" became "Haha."
He's very fixated on lights being on or off, clocks, balloons, kites, and messes. "Make a mess," he'll say. Or "That's a mess!" He used to get upset if he had yogurt on his fingers but I taught him how to lick it off with a loud smack, which he finds very satisfying indeed. He also has learned to kiss with a loud smack, but is very stingy with his kisses unless it is his sister, in which case he's most generous and doting.
Other favorite things: Elmo, Barney, bubbles, books, Singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" and clapping his hands, stomping his feet, patting his knees or hair, depending on what we choose. His pearly smile and belly laugh are more than I can bare, and I swear I feel my heart flip-flop each time I see and hear them. Same goes for Madalyn's gummy, dimpled, squinted-eyed grin.
God is so good to all of us. Praise Him!
Shaun~
Shaun has accepted a new job offer with a company called MDI, (Medical Development International.) He will be a Project Manager and will be creating software applications that relate to medical technology and manage a group of programmers to help create the software. He will have a corner office with a window that overlooks Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra and is very, very excited and anxious to start Monday after next, after putting in his final time at CitiBank.
Katie~
I am enjoying my time at home with my babies--the best years of my life, by far. After all, I've only been anticipating motherhood since I was what, four or five years old?
I've been brainstorming while nursing, on the same old book that I'll restructure a thousand times and never actually complete, but hey, it's a nice creative outlet, and we all know how I love to have a "project." The reason I'm only brain-storming and not really writing, is because by the time the kids are asleep I'm too tired to sit down and begin typing, (my eyelids clamping shut and refusing to cooperate in the effort.)
Another couple of months, though, and Madalyn's newborn days will be gone...so I have to enjoy them while they last...writing will always be there, these precious moments will not.
