28 December, 2012

One Month

I am one month old today.  I look at momma and Daddy in the eye.  I am practicing my smiling and sleeping 4 hour stretches at night.  Momma and Daddy call me sweetums because I am so sweet and delicious. 
Momma is hoping I get Daddy's pretty green eyes.
 I like to stare at bright lights and stay awake for more hours during the day.  I am a great flyer, I love getting my hair washed and I only cry some of the time when I get my diaper changed. 
my cute little one month old toes

24 December, 2012

Winter Wonderland

There is no dreaming of a white Christmas for the Erickson's this Christmas. Tahoe has been blanketed by a beautiful white sheet of snow since our arrival. But, like two idiots Kevin and I arrived with NO snow gear. Good thing Bob and Kathy have us covered so we could play in the snow.

Evangeline was introduced to the snow and we went for a blizzardy walk.

Kev took me up on a dare and ran through the snow barefoot.

We tested out our survival skills and built a snow shelter. Kev and I, of course, had to build it big enough for us both to fit inside. Kathy wouldn't let us bring Evangeline inside our shelter, maybe next year baby.

Kev and I have been enjoying every minute of this winter wonderland!

See Bob in the background blowing the snow?! He did this for hours, literally HOURS!


We had Evangeline well bundled and covered!

Notice the barefeet


doesn't this make you claustrophobic?!


Snuggling inside our cave!

22 December, 2012

She Won Them All

Yesterday we decided to take Evangeline on her very first adventure. We booked tickets for Tahoe to visit Kev's parents while I was still pregnant in hopes Evangeline would be born just in time to travel for Christmas. As with everything else, Evangeline has been the perfect baby and came just in time to travel (SouthWest won't allow babies under two weeks to travel, she just squeaked by at three weeks).

We packed everything up, including a whole bag of cloth diapers and reusable wipes. We tried to only back the essential things but somehow babies still need a lot of things! Kev and I even managed to pack for ourselves. I asked for prayers from everyone I knew asking for easy traveling. (Big thank you to My parents for helping load everything up and driving us to the airport. We are still too cheap to pay for airport parking)

We made sure she was fed and in a dry diaper and I sent up more prayers as we entered onto the plane. I thought we would be sneered at. People would avoid eye contact not wanting us to sit near them. But instead we were greeted with oohs and awes. We even heard a few, "hi baby" coming from passengers. Lots of questions about her age, name, etc. To top it all off Evangeline slept through the whole flight and a dirty diaper. Once again, perfect baby.

Now we can enjoy our white Christmas with Noni and Papa in Tahoe!



19 December, 2012

Cloth Diapers

I have not idea why, but I have become very passionate about cloth diapers.  When I am up with Evangeline at night I find myself reading cloth diaper blogs and forums.  I am also very lucky to have a couple mama's on my life who also use cloth diapers and I am constantly picking their brains about what brand, method and style they use.  There is so many different styles it is overwhelming.

 When Evangeline's umbilical stump fell off Kev and I decided to plunge right in.  Of course I was VERY stressed and worried about it.  But, she started to develop a little rash in her disposables so I was hoping the change would clear things up!

Kev and I seemed to catch on pretty quickly and we are becoming very creative on how to get everything, folded, snapped and tucked into place on this wiggly worm.  We are learning.  My good friend, Brie(and cloth diaper mama) told me she makes her own wipes.  So, now I am passionate about making my own wipes!  Who know I would be such an earthy mama.  I apologize in advance to anyone who watches Evangeline in the future.  We will give you cloth diaper 101.
 Current Wipe Recipe we are trying:
Olive n' Tea Tree Oil
Container ( I used an empty wipe container)
1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin not necessary)
1/8 cup gentle baby bath~ (I use Druide baby calming baby soap, for now.)
A few drops tea tree oil
4 cups water

18 December, 2012

Bath Time

Let me be the first to reveal to you, Evangeline's belly button!!

Uncle Dan, I think she got your belly button!

Isn't it cute?  I show this to you because when it finally fell off at 12 days old I was so relieved!  I just stared at that little umbilical stump wondering, "is it getting infected?" "Is it healing right"  "is it staying on too long?" "Should we clean it?" And the worrying goes on.  I was so excited when it happened I made the announcement to Kev at 3am. I couldn't understand why he wasn't jumping for joy with me.

But, as soon as the belly button exposed itself I knew we could now give her a bath...her first bath.  I didn't know how to bath a baby.  What if she doesn't like it?  What it I clean something wrong?  What if she has a reaction to the baby wash...and I found myself worrying about something else. So, the next morning we decided it was bath time.  I was so stressed about bath time I could not even get a picture of anything passed the set up.  Good thing I have Kev, he mastered the bath just like he mastered the swaddle, diapers and fatherhood all together really.

Belly button gone, bath- accomplished, now on to the next worry... the beginning of a diaper rash.  I don't know how I will survive as a mother with all this worrying!  But, one thing I am learning is I don't have to learn it all at once.  Work on one worry at a time.  I am sure I will be looking back in 15 years and wish my biggest worry was a belly button! 

14 December, 2012

All Alone

After two weeks of constant help Evangeline and I are flying solo today! My parents were here for a week, Pippa was here for 4 days, Kathy(Kev's mom) was here 4 days and Kev-o was home for two weeks and went back to work today.  

Now, we are alone...

Somehow without our village we survived the day. I managed to not only feed Evangeline but also feed myself.  She was also kind enough to let me take a quick shower and even throw on a little make up.  We even had our first outing to go visit Dr. Grant.  I also discovered the Moby to be incredibly helpful.  Not too bad for our first day!

Now, we are anxiously awaiting Kev's home coming.  We missed him terribly all day.  

I mean look at this sad face. I am so glad it is Friday so we get Kev home for two more days! We like it best when the three of us are all together, it is best that way!

13 December, 2012

We Party Hard

Here in the Erickson household we have been doing a lot of sleeping and mostly during the day.  It is mainly due to how hard we party at night.  There is lots of bouncing, swinging, singing and outfit changes. Evangeline throws one crazy party at night.







10 December, 2012

Oh, How Things Have Changed

We are only 11 days into this parenting thing and it is amazing how things have already changed.  Our bedroom now contains a co-sleeper, a swing, a exercise ball, and several burps rags. Our pretty decorative bed pillows are now used for the perfect feeding position.  Kev's "no tooting under the covers" rule is out the window as Evangeline has decided pooping in our bed is OK. I spend more time watching someone sleep than sleeping myself.  I have become a bodily function cheerleader and good latch praiser.

My love for Kev-o the super hero and my dependency on the Lord's strength have also changed, they have increased.  Oh, how things have changed.  And oh, how wonderful it is.


09 December, 2012

Helping Hands

We arrived home one week ago.  I don't know where the times goes but days zoom by! I tell Kev that he makes my heart want to burst and Evangeline makes my heart want to melt.  I am so overwhelmed with love for my family.  We have been showered with blessings and helping hands.  First my parents and their truck load of food.  They cooked, cleaned, loved and taught while they were here.

In the hospital Linds came to visit along to Katie and Michael.  My long time friend, Brittany, came with a bag full of treats and coffee for Kevin (she is a wise woman).  We even got a surprise visit from Great Aunt Traci, God worked things out just perfectly so Traci could come meet the newest family addition. Our good friends, Nicole and Leondre stopped by to meet Evangeline last Sunday.  Nicole came bearing "lactation" bars.  Which were delicious and packed full of ingredients to help bring my milk in (oh and I have plenty of milk, trust me!).  Great Grammy and Great Grandpa Bob came by with lots of cuddles, love and tangerines (my favorite).  A package arrived from Great Betty Sue and Dan, Sarah and the little bug came for dinner.  I quickly grabbed nurse and experienced mommy, Sarah, and asked her to look at my nipples. (I no longer know the word modesty.)  Christian was a entertaining as always and made us laugh until our sides hurt. My work girls came by, and Erin and Jesse (they came while Erin was still pregnant, but as soon as she saw my empty stomach Lincoln was born 24 hours later). 

The greatest surprise was on Thursday night I woke up from my 9pm nap and Kev told me someone came to visit me. To be honest I was a bummed, because I early told Kev how tired I was and didn't feel like any more visitors.  But, as I rounded the corner to the living room. I saw my dear friend, Pippa, sitting on my couch loving on Evangeline.  I burst into tears! What a fun surprise to have my bestie sitting on the couch holding Evangeline and not just talking to her via skype from Boston. 

Pippa flew out on Saturday morning and Noni (Kev's Mom, Kathy) flew in Saturday afternoon.  I think Evangeline might burst with all the love that has been given to her already.  

See, so many blessings.  So much love and so much help.  It will be very interesting when me and the little sweetums are left all alone. I'll let you know how it goes! Thank you to everyone for all your love and support!

05 December, 2012

We Are Surviving

We arrived to the house Sunday, late morning, where my parents were waiting to greet us.  My mom knows me well, or maybe it is just that I am my mother's daughter.  She had candles lite, Christmas music playing, the tree lights on and a little pink stocking hung above the fire place.  I haven't cried since little Evangeline entered the world but the sight of our cozy home coming brought tears to my eyes.


We have not been home for 4 days and so far we are doing great!  We are so thankful for my parents being here to help us figure out what the heck we are doing!! We have been well fed, there are many hands to hold and help, to diaper change and give lots of love. We all constantly bounce or sway (even when we are not holding her).
Days are going well, little Evangeline sleeps a ton and looks cute constantly.  Even when she cries she manages to look adorable (is it weird that I like the smell of her sweet baby breath?). Kev and I are still trying to figure out nights. We keep reassuring Evangeline that we will figure it out one of these days. We basically take turns holding her so the other can sleep.  My mom takes her each morning and loves on her so Kev and I could get a couple more hours of sleep until my boobs are needed.

We really love being parents so far and decided we would keep her.  Evangeline is pretty rad.

Lots to Learn

As we all know babies don't come with a manual and there is lots and lots to learn.  Why are you not sleeping?  Why are you crying?  Does that hurt?  How do I clean that?  Where does that go?  Am I doing this right?  Am I doing this wrong?  These are just a few of the questions that race through my head every 30 seconds.  We are learning each day and still enjoying ever minute.  really, I am not just saying that, we really are loving ever minute of this little babe.

While we are trying to learn all about our sweet little babe Kev is learning all about her toys.  He has become a baby gadget expert.  How did I get so lucky with such an amazing husband who dubs as an amazing father?




02 December, 2012

Thanksgiving Weekend

This was meant to be posted pre-baby, but labor kind of got in the way of me being able to push "post". 

One week ago today Kev and I started our Thanksgiving weekend and it was glorious! I don't know if I can even remember everything we did, but it didn't matter because we didn't HAVE to do anything! From what I hear it may be a LOOOOOOONG time until we feel like this again once kiddos enter our house.  Here is an over view of what we did!


Wednesday- got home early afternoon.  Hung out and put together my home office for work so I can be at home with Evie! Such a blessing!  We saw Dr. Grant, who we LOVE.  And, she checked me to find out I am dilating, effacing and baby is moving down. Oh, and I burst into joyful tears when she said she could actually feel Evangeline's head!  She is getting close to entering this world!! Oh, and we ate at Boke Bowl, so yummy!!


Thursday- Slept in, made mashed potatoes, headed to Grammies, tried to eat lots of Thanksgiving food(I failed, no room) and played with family the rest of the night!

Friday- Slept in, took our recovered and battered motorcycle into the shop(he was kidnapped and recovered, we missed him and are glad to have him back),laid around, watched a Band of Brothers, and went to bed early.  Oh, and Kev was a PRO at backing up the motorcycle trailer, he should really give lessons.  Up hill and backwards, very impressive if I do say so myself.

Saturday- Slept in,watched Home Alone, went bowling, got our Christmas tree, and had a real fire in our fire place.

Sunday- Kev has soccer practice, I made two freezer meals, we skyped with our beloved Scheeles for like two hours. Went to a class at church, went to church and finsihed the weekend with Little Big Burger.

I know, life was rough for us this weekend. But, what  A HUGE blessing and WONDERFUL memories with my all time favorite person before life changes forever.  Thank you for this gift, Lord!