Finally we’ve put some new photos up. I’m trying a new photo hosting site to see if that helps. We’re trying the Google solution right here.

Evan got his first stitches last night. Four of them to be exact. Kim and I were going on our nightly walk (I AM a ninja and you can’t see me!) and Gary was assigned the task of watching Evan and giving him a bath. As Kim and I were powering through the home stretch, Gary was standing at the end of the driveway holding Evan urging us to get home quickly. It seems that while we were gone Evan had tripped in the driveway and hit the left side of his face on a planter by the front door. At first glance, it looked like Evan’s left ear was gone, but it was just bloody. Very bloody. Gary tried to clean it and then I tried to clean it, but to no avail. Evan screamed hysterically and his ear just kept dripping like a leaky faucet. Drip, drip, drip… The wound wasn’t as bad as I initially thought and was really only just a deep cut. However, our plans for clubbing and drinking the night away had already taken a nosedive when Evan couldn’t procure that fake ID, so off to the emergency room we went. Four hours and four stitches later Evan was as good as..well, a baby you’d find at a yard sale. Marked down. 75% off. Still much cuter than any of those celebrity babies as the upcoming pictures will prove. He was gloriously happy in the emergency room except when the staff were poking and prodding him. Daddy and Evan actually had a splendid time running up and down the halls and visiting all of the other patients. I asked the doctor for an e-collar like you get at the vet for your dog, but she just scoffed and briefly fantasized about stitching my mouth shut. I can’t be sure of the actual fantasy, but it was either that or something involving Fabio and a pirate shirt. I digress. Evan is doing well and will have his stitches removed in 6 days. He will probably have a scar, but in the words of Daddy “That will make him at least 5% cuter.”

I just posted a new series of photos. In this batch are photos taken between Halloween and Christmas.

We had a great holiday and Evan really enjoyed the gifts everyone sent. He still hasn’t played with all the new toys yet.

Jaime and I just finished putting away all of the Christmas decorations. They look nice but there’s something to be said for simple decorations. Probably MUCH easier to put away.

Happy New Year everyone!

I have been hounding, needling, bugging, and otherwise attempting to cajole Phil into updating this website for MONTHS! I would do it myself; however, I do not possess the knowledge to post pictures, only to blog. You must understand that Phil is a very busy man. Aside from his grueling 9-hour workday playing video games, he has an 18 month old son (yeah, you remember him) to entertain and a sweet, unassuming wife upon which to lavish affection. Despite all of these harrowing activities, he finds time in his frantic day for World of Warcraft ( “WOW” for everyone out there in the know). How can one possibly play WOW for practically 3 hours a night several nights a week and have time to update this website? Certainly, joining a new guild and levelling-up an avatar takes precedence over those of you salivating for news and pictures of Evan. So, if you really want to gaze fondly at sepia tinged photos of my cherubic hellraiser, I suggest you go to Best Buy and purchase a copy of WOW to install on your computer, create your own avatar, and kill Phil repeatedly until he agrees to maintain his manly duties. Oh, the monthly online subscription for WOW is only $12 or so - about the price of 3 tall mocha frappucinos at Starbucks.

By the way, Evan has reached the following milestones: first haircut, first injury requiring a band-aid and Mommy kiss, first somersault, finally is able to open doors, learning how to make himself fart, saying “You farted” to anyone who farts and saying “I farted” when he does it himself. If I had any doubt about the manliness of my little boy, those feelings have been squashed.

You can keep the blondes and the redheads, I like brunettes! As my Mommy will tell you, I don’t like to watch television. Its very boring. Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, the Wiggles, you can keep them all. But give me Rachael Ray (from the Food Network) or Jennifer Morrison (Dr. Cameron on House) and my engine is revving! Yesterday, I sat on Mommy’s lap for all of 30 Minute Meals. It was like I was a zombie and I could’t turn my eyes away. I don’t know if its because when I was first born Mommy was a brunette (the woman can’t seem to decide on a haircolor!) and thats just what I prefer. I also really like Andre Bocelli and Stevie Wonder… both brunettes and, ummm, blind. Hmmmm… I need to think about this some more and get back to you. I’m the ultimate ladies’ man, yes, the ultimate. I’m a little confused. More thought, more thought, more thought. I need the number for a good therapist. Anybody? Anybody?

Happy birthday to me! Just like Jaime only 5 days ago on 6/1, I’ll be turning 30 today. On top of that, my birthday falls on an interesting date this year… 06/06/06. I find that interesting.

Things are going well down in FL. Jaime and I went to Savannah, GA for our birthdays. Very pretty town but you don’t need more than a day or two to see everything. I’m sure we’ll go back.

Work is really busy at the moment. We’re wrapping up NCAA Football and also trying to close the books on the latest version of Madden. I’ve got more things to do than I have time for. I guess that’s how life works through…

Lastly I’m looking forward to a visit from my dad later this month. This will be the first time he’s come to our home so I’m sure we’ll be cleaning just a little bit in the coming weeks.

That’s all for now. Till next time…

Evan isn’t allergic to peanuts! I found this out on Tuesday when he waddled into the family room with an entire mini peanut butter cup stuffed in his face - foil wrapper and all! Before I could grab him, he swallowed the candy AND the wrapper (I’m sure I’ll be seeing the wrapper again soon). Since he didn’t start choking or break into hives, I’m assuming he’s not allergic. Later that day, Pop Pop gave him a nutter butter cookie and Evan still lived. This opens up an entire world of new food possibilities for Evan. I gave him a pb&j sandwich for lunch yesterday and he loved it. Gobbled it up and licked the remnants off of the highchair tray.

On another happy front, Phil got his test results today and he is perfectly fine. No cancer, no mystery illness, and the catscan revealed that he does have a brain! Our 30th birthdays are fast approaching and hopefully we have 70 more after that!

Evan is already beginning to show his true colors as his father’s son. He LOVES gadgets! Telephones, cell phones, remote controls, alarm clocks, computers, etc. If its electronic, it has Evan’s name written all over it. Don’t try to fake him out with toy versions of electronics because he won’t have it. Give him a toy phone and he’ll give it right back. He knows how to turn the phone on and off and has even given family members surprise wake-up calls. He’s pretty good with the television remote control and Phil’s alarm clock. He knows that Pop Pop’s remote control and Mommy’s remote control are the same. So, if I won’t give him my remote, he goes and gets Pop Pop’s remote, comes back into the family room, and changes the channel. Evan is keeping his options open, though. He also adores the mop and drags it with him wherever he goes. Go, go gadget baby!

Evan LOVES bread! We found this out while battling the flu the other week. In order to…ummmm….errrr….bind his loose stools….the doctor said to load him up on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, etc. Well, he cannot seem to eat enough wheat bread. His two favorite foods right now are vegetable crackers and wheat bread. I was thinking of slathering a little peanut butter on the bread for good measure, but doctors put the fear of god into you when it comes to peanut allergies. Maybe I’ll just take Evan to the emergency room and give him a PB&J in the presence of a team of medical experts just in case. Highly intelligent maneuver or crazy, paranoid Mommy?

On other fronts, Evan’s language comprehension is quickly improving. If I tell him “hands,” he’ll reach his hands out to me. He knows where his feet are and what they do. He will kiss just about anything and everything on command. He open-mouthed kissed just about every other kid in the play area at the mall today! He walks to me if I say “come here.” The word he responds the least to (but probably understands the best), is “sit.” We are constantly telling him to SIT…in highchairs, strollers, and shopping carts. He is Houdini-like with his ability to wriggle out of even the tightest seatbelt. He can even say “sit.” Now, if he’d just learn “stay.” Arf! Arf!

We have been attacked! Attacked viciously on all sides, fronts, and backs. The flu has beaten us so badly I am not sure when we will ever fully recover. Evan has been acting very strange all week, but Phil was the first man down. Phil put up a very heroic battle on Wednesday night, but admitted defeat early Thursday morning. I was stricken so vehemently yesterday that it almost surpassed the strep throat epidemic of 2001. Evan began the bulk of his struggle last night. Phil and I have both been vomitted and pooped on. We have watched in horror (and, yes, twisted amusement) as Evan slid around on the kitchen floor in his own poo. Hey, it leaked out of his diaper! David and Ray are next. The flu will get you, my pretty…