How Hard Can It Be?

And then my heart exploded…

bethmillett — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:35:26 +0000

Never mind that my car smells like spoiled milk (from sippy cups tossed aside), or that I can’t stay awake past 8:52, or that I now have to lock my toilets… when he discovers something fun and exciting, my heart just about quadruples in size. This is why I wanted to be a mom!

Dinnertime music

bethmillett — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:10:53 +0000

Evan is eating pretty much anything I put in front of him these days. He’s very good at feeding himself, though we’re still working on not dropping the sippy cup over the edge of the high chair tray. He loves carbs in particular and will go to town on a slice of toast, crackers or pasta.

Here’s what a typical meal sounds like!

Revised Turquoise

bethmillett — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:20:58 +0000

I mentioned when sharing my latest needlework completions that I didn’t like one of the colors I chose for the Turquoise piece. I went back to Persnickety Stitchers and picked out something else. Last weekend, while in Chicago with one of my best friends, I ripped out the old stuff and put in the new. I’m much happier with the results!

Vintage Evan

bethmillett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:25:56 +0000

These are some videos I’ve been meaning to post for ages — they were some new skills I caught on video in December. Now this stuff is totally old hat. He’s now cruising furniture like a madman. Forbidden items, like my iPhone and remote controls, continue to be the greatest motivators!

Outstanding dinnertime entertainment

bethmillett — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:06:10 +0000

While we were in North Carolina visiting my parents (Grammy and Paca to Evan), we were trying to keep him going for a few more minutes so I could eat my dinner before his bedtime. We pulled the jumper over to the table and put in a very sleepy boy.

There’s no hiding from him!

bethmillett — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:49:25 +0000

Evan’s been home sick for two days with a fever and lots of congestion. Yesterday the doctor said maybe he has an ear infection and gave us some antibiotics. He seems a little better this morning, so I hope he can go back to school tomorrow.

On Sunday, he was still chipper enough to have some fun with me on the other side of the end table.

The many first birthday celebrations

bethmillett — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:13:47 +0000

Evan is, as my sister says, a well-celebrated boy! We were in North Carolina for the week before his birthday, to celebrate with my parents (and avoid the Super Bowl craziness in Indy), then had the Johnsons over for dinner on February 9. He wasn’t feeling great, so the festivities weren’t all that joyous, but then we had a small party of close friends over the following weekend. So, he had finally figured out what to do with the cake by the time that party rolled around. It still took two attempts, though, as we were too close to naptime and the applause and encouragement from the crowd sent him right over the edge.

Excited for the party to start at Grammy and Paca's!

After a nap, he finally gets into the cake. There was even icing up his nose!

The post-cake bath in the kitchen sink. Thanks, Auntie Angela!

A couple of needlework projects finished!

bethmillett — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:51:41 +0000

I have a long list of projects in various stages of completion. I’m been surprised at how much needlework I’ve been able to get done since Evan’s birth. He goes to bed around 7 p.m., and some nights I have the energy to stitch for an hour or two. I completed the stocking cuff for his stocking as well as his cousin Sheridan, so we will have a complete set of family stockings this Christmas!

I have been working on a whole series of very cool Glitz and Glamour patterns. I have nine currently being framed, the two shown here just completed (Kunzite and Turquoise) and one more (Morganite) to do. (But I see from her website that there are several more I need to do — Onyx, Carnelian, Garnet, Opal, Harlequin Opal and Tourmaline!

I love that these use a variety of fibers and stitches, so I’m always doing something new. I also love the effect created by the different shades of the same color.

When the framing is done, I think I’ll be hanging these in my new office at work.

Peas, meet Evan. Evan, meet peas.

bethmillett — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:02:33 +0000

I expect that only my mother will watch all nine and a half minutes of Evan getting his first taste of peas. And even she may lose interest … But, nonetheless, here it is, documented for posterity. There are some funny faces!

Starting day care

bethmillett — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:27:28 +0000

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to bring Evan with me to work thus far, but the Bring Your Baby to Work program ends at six months. Many have asked what he will do, and apparently my plan to leave him at home with an open box of Cheerios has not been well-received. So, I’ve lined up Day Nursery if that box of Cheerios thing doesn’t work out. Day Nursery is the oldest child care provider in the state of Indiana, and is one of the few non-profit child care agencies in the Indianapolis area. They have seven locations, including one very near our house.

Monday will be a very emotional day (for me more than Evan, I suspect), as we begin this new chapter — one where we are now separated more than 40 hours a week. I am not sure I have been separated from Evan for a total of 40 hours in his life!

But, it must be done. I am not in a situation where I could stay home with him all day, every day, and I’m not sure I’m the kind of person who could do that on a social and intellectual level, even if I could do it on a financial one. I look at child care as the beginning of school — eventually he would be going to elementary school, so we’re just starting his education early.

To keep myself from becoming a sniveling wreck, here’s what I’ll be focused on come Monday:

I’ll be able to wear jewelry and high heels again since I won’t be toting him around the office any more.
My walk to the office will be much faster, since I don’t have to load up all his gear and push the stroller four blocks.
Someone else will change five-sevenths of the diapers (and probably most of the poopy ones!)
I will be able to use the gym in my office building during my lunch hour (I’ll get back to you on whether that really does happen!)
I will be able to focus on work at work, which means I’ll be able to focus on Evan after the workday ends. (Again, I’ll get back to you on how much work I still do at home!)
I won’t have to tell my coworkers when I’m going to the bathroom so they can listen for his cries if he wakes up.
I will no longer narrate all the activity of my day for Evan’s benefit. (I may still do it for my own benefit, but I’ll try to break that habit.)
Evan will continue honing his great social skills (he’s closed a lot of client deals in the last three months) and will make lots of new friends at Day Nursery.
Most of all, I know that Evan is ready for the next stage in his development, and it demands more time, interaction and experience than I have at the moment. The great teachers and assistants at Day Nursery will work with Evan every day on all levels of his development. He’ll have other kids to interact with, and this environment will offer him a great stability and continuity that will enable him to thrive.

Even with all of those great points, I’ll still be wearing waterproof mascara on Monday. I can’t imagine not seeing this face all day.