Walker, Evan Charles

It's just a few steps, but still. Age adjusted 13 months and can't use his left side very well? I think he's amazing! FYI, he's crying in the second clip because he wanted me, not Dad.

And here is a picture of Evan eating apple pieces: "Look, ma, I discovered gravity!"

I should also mention that Evan got right into the pool on Friday with a complete stranger- and loved it! Both Evan and Amelia are natural born swimmers and did not want to get out. Cousin Genna would be so proud. (My side of the family is full of divers and competitive swimmers. Grandma Kim was a synchronized swimmer!!) I can't wait to take them to swimming lessons and a waterpark someday.

The Giant Patch

I took Evan to the pediatric cardiologist at Madigan Army Medical Center, just outside of Tacoma, today. His heart is checking out good, but there is still a small hole where the patch was placed. We hope that it will close as he gets bigger. For the first time, a cardiologist looked me straight in the eye and told me just how large the hole in his heart was. So large that he rarely sees babies with holes that large. What does that tell you? And then, of course, sad songs were playing all the way home.

In better news, Evan started therapy this week! Finally! An occupational therapist comes to our house once a week and we go to the therapy center once a week for physical therapy. We go there for PT because Evan gets to have his therapy in a warm pool! Evan, Amelia, the PT, and me are all getting in the pool. It should be interesting. His first session is tomorrow morning, so I'm sure I will have stories.

Both Evan and Amelia will be in a preschool class at the center once a week. It is funded by the school district to make sure premature and special needs toddlers are where they are supposed to be at developmentally. They get to play with neat sensory toys, learn to draw, push toys around, and have snack time with different cups and utensils. I think they are going to love it. So I guess my hectic, busy days are back...

Oh, and I almost forgot the reason I wanted to blog- Evan is 19 pounds! I just can't believe it. Four weeks ago he was 17 lbs, 14 ozs. I hope he keeps gaining like this. Amelia is still a peanut, but I think she's gotten taller. She's going to have longer legs than me in no time.

Thank God they play together now

The 1st video is a couple of weeks old now, but it is still relevant- they play together and haven't been so needy lately! I guess it's sad that they are growing up, but I just made me a sandwich! The only thing is that they like to take fairly big toys and try to balance them on larger toys, so I'm always listening for the crash of toys and screaming, but so far we, or they, have been lucky. They also occasionally fight over toys, but that goes without saying. Amelia likes to run in place in front of Evan and wave her arms in the air. Evan laughs hysterically at this. Evan can walk now, he just doesn't know it yet. The 2nd video is of him walking around the activity cube, one of the best toys ever- a hand-me-down from Auntie Tammy. Notice that it's on it's side. E & A like to roll it around together.

You can take that Crayola marker and...

So this past week Evan has been evaluated twice for his therapy needs. The first time was with a nurse, then the next was with education and occupational therapists. It was the same evaluation and the same questions. But twice. For a child who has needed therapy since the day he was born and all doctors say so. But you know, the state of Washington and the therapists need to see whether he really needs it.

Anyway, at both evaluations, the Crayola markers came out. Ya know, to see if the age-adjusted 13 month old, who has never seen or used a marker, can just start drawing with a marker. This leads into the next segment that I like to call "Seriously?!" by Jennifer. (Stolen from SNL's "Really?" with Seth and Amy.)

• So you bring out an orange Crayola marker on my living room floor and expect Evan to just start drawing with it? On a piece of paper ON MY FLOOR? On the carpet? Did you not think that after I told you that he has never used one before that maybe he would start swinging his arm around, marking up everything within arms length? Seriously?!


• So the next time you bring out an orange and a purple Crayola? And you just give him the capless purple marker? And you just let him immediately marker on his clothes and hands? Seriously?!


• So you think that by showing him that you can draw, that he's going to start copying your lines? Did you really think that he wouldn't show you how he can draw lines, too? On his tongue?? Seriously?!


• So you thought you would see if he's a genius artist, huh? Maybe sell his Crayolart for millions? I'm on to you! Seriously!

Seriously, though, the education evaluater is coming on Monday to evaluate Amelia so she can play in Evan's weekly playgroup. And I'm sure she is bringing markers. So now I'm freaking out because I never thought to give them crayons or markers and teach them how to draw. I have failed as a mother!! Now I have to go buy some washable markers this weekend and hold a Crayola workshop before she gets here.

1 Year ago...

It was one year ago today that Evan had his large VSD repair at Children's National Medical Center. Two days later I was able to hold him for the first time and my mom snapped a picture. The second picture is Evan now- what a big boy (from 5 to 18 lbs)! The surgeons and nurses kept telling me that after a couple of months he would be bigger than his sister. I couldn't believe it when it happened.

Looking back, I remember every little detail of that time. The days leading up to the surgery, the days while he was in recovery. The wires, the monitors, the beeping, the tubes. The ignoramus nurses. Feeling bad about not seeing Amelia much. It was so beautiful in DC. The cherry blossoms bloomed that week. I haven't been able to decide if cherry blossoms are a source of painful memories or something I can draw strength from. I think I'm going with the latter. I can't wait to take him for a walk around the tidal basin.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Since the kids have been taking bagpipe lessons for a few months, we thought we would let them march in the local parade. Then I thought, they deserve better. So we packed them up and flew them to Ireland last night so we could all enjoy the kelly green hills and the sound of their pipes. It was hard because it took 12 hours instead of 6 to fly there since we are on the west coast now. Oh well, it was worth it. Have a happy green day!

1st Time IN the Snow

Even though we had a lot- and I mean a lot- of snow in New England, we never took the kids outside in it because it was just too darn cold. But since it was almost 40 degrees and snowing (??) here, we decided it was time. They cried when we took them back inside. PS, love the snow here. Supposedly it rarely snows here and if it does, it melts immediately most of the time. Love the no shoveling part! All of it was gone an hour later.