Evalynn & Elizabeth's Journal

September - October 2004

Lynn and Liz are 1!

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Welcome to Evalynn and Elizabeth's journal!  We were born on August 31, 2003 at 34 weeks, 5 days gestation.  Our due date was October 7th, so we were a bit over 5 weeks early.  Select the links below to get quickly to the section of your choice.  Thanks for visiting. 

Year two has begun.  We are going have fun watching them develop into independent individuals over the coming year.

Many pictures are posted out here.  Prior to posting the pictures, I shrink them down to approximately 300 pixels to save space on the web server (we're only given so much space).  If you're wanting original sized pictures, please email us, letting us know which picture you'd like and we will email it to you.

August 31, 2004: 365 days old  (12 months) 1 yr, 0 days 

Happy 1st Birthday Evalynn and Elizabeth!!! 

Mommy, Daddy Daniel and Mitzi are so glad you're here.  You are  both getting so big!  You have done so much through the last year.  From the first smiles, to saying your first words; From rolling over for the first time, to attempting your first steps.  Now that you are toddlers, you will both be exploring so much of our world in the next months and years to come.

Thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity to see you grow into the beautiful girls you are.  Life would not be the same without you!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy Daniel & Mitzi

Here's some more pictures from the party...

Cakes and cupcakes that Mommy made...

Two posters that Mommy made.  The first one has pictures of the girls over the last year.  The second one is a painted poster of an ark and animals.

The girls with their hats (it was fun trying to get a picture with the hats on).  Mommy also made their bibs.  The hats and bibs say 'It's fun to be 1', with their names and footprints.

Opening presents...

Liz is really wanting Uncle Ernie's birthday cake...  Mommy also made his cake!  Mommy also did the string of animals on the table behind the girls and Ernie.  All those art classes in high school really paid off!

September 2, 2004: 1 yr, 2 days (12 months, 2 days)  Where did the summer go???  It went by so fast.  Next thing you know, snow will be flying (yuck).

Things are starting to get back to normal  Dan started school (home school) on Monday.  So far, so good.  Dan's 14th birthday is next Monday (Labor Day).  August and early September is like Christmas around here.

Lynn and Liz are having so much fun with their new toys.  We have these bins with their toys in different parts of the house.  It seems like they hit one station at a time.  You can see the path of destruction.  Smaller toys = more to pick up.  I can't really say yet if there is one toy they like more than another as they play with them all.  I think that's the good thing about having the stations set up.  As they get bored or tired with playing at one, they move on to the next.  To them, it's like something all new to them when they get back to it.  We have one station that's all peek a blocks, one of Little People, one of stuffed animals and one of beach toys.  Most of the 'baby' toys were moved to the bins in their bedroom.  This place is starting to look like a preschool.

I'm considering moving their rocking chair out of sight for Mommy's sanity.  We found out on their birthday that Lynn enjoyed climbing up on Uncle John and Aunt Elena's fireplace hearth.  Then yesterday, they started climbing up on their rocking chair to attempt to get onto the end table.  Last night, they both knocked over Daddy's new suitcase to climb up on that.  We officially have climbers!!!!

This afternoon, they have their 12 month checkup.  I'm thinking Lynn may be 15 pounds and Liz 17.  We'll see how close I am.  UPDATE:  Well, Mommy was close!

They received three shots...Chicken Pox, MMR and Prevnar. 

Well, there's no more putting the girls to bed in just a diaper...Lynn just figured out how to take hers off.  Brother walked in to see a naked Lynn.  Monday, she was half way out of her pajama top.  I guess she'll be our streaker...

September 6, 2004: 1 yr, 6 days (12 months, 6 days) Happy 14th Birthday Big Brother!!!  Here's a picture of him with his cake that Mommy made...

September 7, 2004: 1 yr, 7 days (12 months, 7 days)  Busy weekend here.  I'm trying something different as we're running out of space on our web server.  I've set up an account on a web hosting site for the pictures to see if that helps.  The pictures from here on will be hosted there at least for the time being so we can see how that service is.  If anyone experiences problems seeing pictures, please email me at mommabird@mchsi.com .

Here's some pictures from Labor Day...

Watching the parade in Bloomington.  Evalynn was not amused.  She did not like the sounds from the sirens and horns.  It's gotten really hard to keep a hat on these two!

Mommy is also playing around with backgrounds and themes...please bare with her while she figures out what looks good!

September 10, 2004: 1 yr, 10 days (12 months, 10 days)   Evalynn just stood up UNASSISTED!!!!! It was from a squat (where her butt was no more than an inch from the ground). She stood there for 15 to 20 seconds before she realized that she was not holding onto anything. Then, she would go back into the squat and stand up again. She did this about a half dozen times! She also let go of whatever she was holding onto and stood there.

Liz finally cut a top tooth! This is her third tooth. It was not quite through this morning, but it is now!

September 16, 2004: 1 yr, 16 days (12 months, 16 days)  Sorry I haven't posted much.  I'm trying to get ready for the yard sale I'm having tomorrow and Saturday.  You never realize how much stuff you have until you have to price all of it!  We have a table of just baby sleepers. 

We're going to Champaign Sunday afternoon for the NICU reunion.  It should be fun!

This is is going to be quite a busy weekend!

The girls are doing great.  They're always busy playing.  They've discovered chocolate milk!  That seems to be one way to get Lynn to drink all her milk.  I couldn't believe how quick she chugs the chocolate milk. 

Lets  hope things get back to normal once this weekend is done!

Mommy should go to bed...

September 19, 2004: 1 yr, 19 days (12 months, 19 days)   The yard sale went well.  I was surprised at the amount of clothes we sold.  We were still left with a few of the larger baby items.  We'll try to sell those again at another sale.

Daddy let Mommy go out to a few of the sales yesterday.  After less than 45 minutes, Mommy came home with a bunch of Little Tikes stuff...Cozy Coupe, push and ride  convertible (ride on toys),  play kitchen and a doll stroller.  I also found lots of nice clothes.  The kitchen is sure a big hit, especially with Liz.

Today we're dressing the girls up pretty for the NICU reunion.

Better start getting ready.

September 23, 2004: 1 yr, 23 days (12 months, 23 days)   Wow, Mommy is exhausted.  For some reason, I had enough energy to bake a roast, butternut squash and an apple pie.

We're now giving the girls bowls with spoons.  Usually, the spoons land on the floor, but I figured it's time to offer the spoons, if they use them or not.  We should have gotten a picture of tonight's mess after mashed potatoes, squash and their piece of pie.

Here's some pictures...

In their new cars (Lynn is in the pink dress):

Liz pushing their new doll stroller (we're looking for another one if anyone finds one), followed by Lynn standing next to a chair:

Playing with hats:

Profile shots (yeah, that's dinner in Lizzie's hair):

We also entered the temper tantrum phase.  If either girl gets upset, they bang their heads on the floor.  It's not a light tap either.  Mitzi did the same type of thing, but she'd fall while standing up.

Time for Mommy to go to bed...

September 24, 2004: 1 yr, 24 days (12 months, 24 days)   I'm on a roll...two posts in less than 24 hours!  Evalynn just cut her third tooth this morning.  It's the same tooth that Liz is working on.  I didn't even realize she was cutting it as she wasn't too whiny.  She fussed a bit the last couple nights, but I just figured she was maybe starting the toddler night wake up thing that is typical at this age.  No Momma, we're cutting teeth!

Liz brought me shoes this morning wanting them on.    They had one of their first fights this morning.  They were arguing over the same piece of paper.  I ripped it in half and gave it back.

They're now dancing to the local forecast music on the Weather Channel.  These girls are so funny! 

If you haven't noticed, I posted pictures last night...scroll up to see them.

We hit 3000 hits to this site.  Wow!

September 25, 2004: 1 yr, 25 days (12 months, 25 days)  We went to garage sales in El Paso this morning and got some good Little Tykes deals.  We bought a washer and dryer set with an ironing board and iron, an outside jungle gym with a slide and playhouse!  I also found a child's rocking chair identical to the one I bought when Dan was a year old, the Little People Zoo with all the animals (that was only a dollar!), and plastic chairs for outside.

So, all I'm looking for now, is another doll stroller.

Here's a picture with the girls in their rocking chairs (Liz is in the new chair)...

I'll get other pictures out here later.

We've busted through the seams and the place where I was hosting some of the pictures have a ridiculously low daily quota for those just looking at the pictures.  That quota was reached in just a couple of hours.  So, we have to find other alternatives, so we can keep this going.

September 26, 2004: 1 yr, 26 days (12 months, 26 days)   We will be moving everything over to a new website soon.  We had to find options for more space.  So, we now have our own domain (willisland.net).  When it's all up, we'll put a link in here.  I'm hoping it will be all moved over in about a week.  I'll still post updates here until that is up, but I can't post pictures until then.

One year ago today, Lynn came home from the hospital.

Today, Grandma and Grandpa Wilson are here with Aunt Patty and Buster (their new puppy).   Aunt Marjorie made new Packer and Bear outfits for the girls.  The outfits are so cute!  Grandpa Willis will be over this afternoon.

Here's some new pictures with the new toys...

Here's Evalynn then (on the way home from the hospital) and now...

Elizabeth then (just before we left to pick Evalynn up) and now...

Welcome to our new site.  We now have enough space to show Lynn and Liz off for a long time!  I was able to organize things better.  If you see any links that don't work, please email me at sherry@willisland.net .

September 27, 2004: 1 yr, 27 days (12 months, 27 days)   I made changes to the guestbook.  So, if you made a comment, feel free to add a new comment in the new guestbook.

Liz said 'bye bye' to Grandpa Willis yesterday.  When she's playing with a phone, she'll say "Hi Daddy".

September 28, 2004: 1 yr, 28 days (12 months, 28 days)   The girls were both pushing their little carts around.  Liz now picks hers up and moves it when she gets stuck.

Lynn calls me 'Mama'.  Liz calls me Mom.  There's lots of new sounds coming out of them every day!  Liz likes looking under things...the couch, cribs, beds.  She usually finds things under there.

The girls love sitting in their rocking chairs.  I'm so glad I found the matching one!  But, Lynn would rather stand in hers.  We're working on that.  Liz will sit in hers and get down by herself.  Lynn has turned into our daredevil and animal tormenter.  We have to keep telling her to let go of Jackson's tail and Odie's feet!  She also like standing on the Little Tikes chairs.  She gets mad if she cannot get one pushed out.  They both like standing on those to look out the window.  Liz yells 'Hi' out the window.

Better go.  Evalynn is trying to figure out how to get on the couch from her rocking chair.

October 1, 2004: 1 yr, 31 days (13 months, 1 day)   Our little mountain climber is at it again.  This morning I found her on the end table.  Wednesday it was the new toddler kitchen (she has since taught Liz how to climb that now).  She keeps climbing higher and higher.  None of the other kids ever did this...I'm so not used to it!  Daddy thinks it's because of her determination and will to fight.  She keeps trying and trying until she gets it.

We've dug out the heavier clothes.  The high tomorrow is only supposed to be 60..ok, that's almost too cool.  We may still try to get out to the apple orchard.  Everybody loved the apples we brought home from the orchard in Champaign.

October 2, 2004: 1 yr, 32 days (13 months, 2 days)   We made it out to Tanner's Orchard this afternoon.  It may have reached 60 degrees today, but that was beautiful for apple picking.  The great thing is that there were no bugs out to bother us!  We got some pictures of the girls.  Lynn and Liz were so good.  They loved playing in the pumpkins.  Liz is in the pink outfit.

They took a decent nap when we got home, but didn't want to be woke up.  So, they've been pretty grumpy since (especially Liz).  But, Liz may also be cutting her fourth tooth, so that may be why she's grumpy.  Better get this saved...Lynn's finger was on the computer's power button (so, now she's not happy).

October 7, 2004: 1 yr, 37 days (13 months, 7 days)   Mommy's had a cold most of the week and is feeling yucky.  Today is the 1st anniversary of the girls' due date.  Wow,  have they grown!

I thought I'd throw another comparison picture out here...

Evalynn (She's really trying to snap her fingers.)

Elizabeth (She's still not looking at the camera)

Liz is cutting a top tooth.  Her cheeks always get rosy just before it cuts through.  Liz also learned how to foot power the riding cars.  She's quite the speed demon!  Of course it's backwards and in circles.  She doesn't mind.  She also stood up on her own last Sunday.  Yesterday, Liz picked up a toy phone and says 'Hi, Bye' and hangs it up.

Lynn is starting to form some words.  Today she pretended to have a conversation with Daddy on the toy phone.  She's been calling Daddy 'Papa'.  She tries to say 'puppy'.

They're both still sleeping and eating great *knock on wood*.  Usually kids this age seem to relapse into waking up in the middle of the night and are interested more into playing than eating.  They also start getting pickier when it comes to food.  Not these two!  They eat what we do.  Sometimes we get the toddler pasta pickups, just for the convenience.  But that gets pricey when they each go through a container.

We also tried them on Peanut Butter about a week ago.  Woo hoo!!! No allergic reaction!  They love PB and Apple Butter sandwiches.

They both love climbing on Daddy and they get all excited when he gets home from work.

Need to go check laundry.

October 9, 2004: 1 yr, 39 days (13 months, 9 days)  We took more pictures today.  This evening we went to a weenie roast for 4-H (Mitzi is joining).  Lynn and Liz did great!  They loved watching the bigger kids run around.  While the big kids were out on the hay ride, those that stayed behind sat around the fire.  The girls were mesmerized by the glow of the fire. 

Here's the pictures we took before we left. They're wearing their 'It's fun to be one' hats.  They're actually starting to keep them on longer.  Mommy loves putting them in overalls!  Plus, they look really cute in them!  Also with them so thin, most of their jeans fall down and we're constantly pulling them up.

October 12, 2004: 1 yr, 41 days (13 months, 12 days)   Not too much going on here.  Lynn cut her fourth tooth Sunday.  So, she's up on Liz by a tooth.  We usually don't get any signs from Lynn that she's cutting one.  We were so shocked to see that second top tooth.  Also, I think hers come down quicker than Lizzie's. 

Lynn is still climbing on things.  Sunday, we found her on top of their busy box (12 inch cube box with busy beads on top)...twice!  Then she was on top of their intelli-table.  She's freaking her Mom out!!!

It looks like the weather is getting cooler.  We have rains hitting from the remnants of tropical storm Matthew.  According to the weather, it's supposed to continue most of the week.

October 19, 2004: 1 yr, 48 days (13 months, 19 days)  More teeth popping through here!  Liz cut one on Friday and another Sunday.  So, today's tooth count is Liz-5, Lynn-4.

We went over to John and Elena's Sunday evening.  Great Grandma and Grandma Gass visited on the way back to Michigan from Memphis, Tennessee.  We had a great time!

I had to make modifications to things around the house.  The toddler kitchen went downstairs until this climbing phase ends (I'm hoping it ends).  The Little Tikes washer and dryer was moved into it's place (in front of Mommy's computer).    Then we moved the books off one of the bookshelves that kept getting taken down.  We put  toys in the bookshelf  instead.  We still need to secure the shelf to the wall (I'm sure Lynn will figure out how to climb that soon!).  We've gotten so tired of picking books back up. 

I sat the girls down at their table for their snack this afternnon.  They did so well and really liked it.  Too bad they wouldn't both look at the camera!

More pictures...This is from dinner tonight.  Mmm, Lasagna!  As you can see, Liz was into it more than Lynn!  Lynn's favorite meal is breakfast and Lizzie's is dinner.  Look at Lizzie's top teeth!

October 21, 2004: 1 yr, 50 days (13 months, 21 days)   The last two days, we've set the girls at their table to eat.  They love it.  The only problem we have is that Lynn likes to turn around in her chair.  For lunch today, Lynn was already getting into her chair when I was changing Lizzie's diaper.  We also have to put the dog in the kitchen otherwise, they'll feed him instead.  Here's a picture of their first breakfast at the big girl table.

When we tell Liz to sit down in her rocking chair, she will.  We're still working with Lynn.  She's more daring, so it's a bit rough to get her to understand.   Both girls will sign when they're all done.  Liz has started pointing.  Lynn took down one of her crib toys at nap time today.  Mommy thinks it is in an attempt to find a way out of the crib!  She was found standing on it, which gave her an added three inches in height.

Mommy was having a bad toothache over the weekend and finally decided to see a dentist yesterday.  One of the teeth are infected, so it's been drilled the last couple days.  OUCH!

October 26, 2004: 1 yr, 55 days (13 months, 26 days)   Not too much going on here.  We've rearranged the living room, fixed the broken screen door and pried open the window we freed up by rearranging.  Mommy cleaned up the flower beds around the house yesterday.  The girls' closet was cleaned out Saturday of the summer clothes.

Mommy's cold came back with a vengeance.  Liz now has the sniffles.  Lynn cut tooth number five yesterday.   Lynn took two steps for us Sunday night. We have lots of fun watching the girls play.

I guess there's more going on than I thought!

Tonight's update:  Evalynn took several steps quite a few times tonight!!!  Woo hoo!!!  We also sat them down at the piano tonight.  They loved it!  They would dance while they played the piano.

October 28, 2004: 1 yr, 57 days (13 months, 28 days)   Evalynn cut another tooth today.  That makes six for Lynn and five for Liz.

We found the girls both sitting in the same chair tonight.  It almost looked like they were ready to pose.

Here's something cute...Daddy was getting Liz into her jammies tonight and Lynn was standing on the bed, so she could reach the hand sanitizer, which is on something that hangs down on the wall next to the bed.  She was pretending to squirt some onto her hands.  Then she'd kneel down and rub her hands together.  She'd get back up and do it again.  We were having fun watching her do it.  I guess she's noticed that it's a habit to sanitize our hands.

October 30, 2004: 1 yr, 59 days (13 months, 30 days)   Today, we carved pumpkins.  Here's Lynn and Lizzie's pumpkins that Mommy and Daddy carved:

Mommy also roasted pumpkin seeds.  Daddy didn't realize how good pumpkin seeds are!

We went to Wildlife Prairie State Park in Peoria tonight for the Scary park. We dressed up all the girls in their Halloween costumes. Mitzi went as a scary witch (kind of looked more like a zombie witch by the time I got done with her!). Lynn went as a monkey and Liz as a lion. We waited in line for over two hours for the haunted train ride. There were also trick or treating stations and picture taking. The girls were so good even through the wait for the train. We just got home a few minutes ago. I figured the girls would be freaked out over the costumes and the ride, but nothing phased them. It must be big brother that has them trained (he likes to hide and boo them). Dan stayed home to finish carving his pumpkin. He wouldn't have handled that wait very well anyway. Mitzi did meet a few girls and they had fun going through the haunted house together.

Here's the picture that was taken of us...the quality is not too good...taken with a Polaroid...

Here's the three girls all dressed up!

It was so much fun!  We're so glad we went, even if it meant we had to stand in lines.

Tomorrow evening, we'll be out trick-or-treating.

October 31, 2004: 1 yr, 60 days (14 months)  Happy Halloween!  Also, happy 14 months Lynn and Liz!!!  I'll put more here later...just thought I'd get today's post up while I'm still here!

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