Bootheel Holiday

We hit the highways once again on Christmas Eve to visit family for the holiday season. Evelyn was completely spoiled by Grandma and Pop and delighted in all the attention showered upon her. She was allowed to open a present or two on Christmas Eve, which came from her Great Aunt Gwindel, Grandma and Pop. Then, on Christmas morning, she awoke to presents under the tree from Santa. Her favorite items seemed to be the purse (which Pop quickly filled with dollar bills--she is so spoiled) and a pink cell phone. She carried both around for the entire time we were there. Later that morning, we headed to Aunt Kathy's for lunch and of course, more presents! It was so good to be with all of our family. Though we were glad to head for home on Saturday, a big part of us hated to say good-bye to them.

Christmas at Home

This morning we celebrated Christmas at home before heading out to visit family this holiday season. We began with Mindy opening her stocking from Santa Dog. Next, it was Evelyn's turn to see what was in her stocking. Then, it was time for presents! Evelyn gleefully opened her presents from Santa, family, and friends. Santa brought her some snow suit clothing, books, and Little People Learn About Town. One of Mommy's students, Jack, gave her a present--a Princess tea set for four. Evelyn LOVED it! Once her presents were opened, she began to help Mommy and Daddy open theirs. It was such fun! We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Seizures

On Friday, Dec. 12th, Evelyn became very ill. She had a low-grade fever and tummy troubles so Mommy stayed home with her. Mommy called the pediatrician and they felt that Evelyn had a virus that has been going around and told me to monitor her. Around noon, she layed down for a nap. That is when I heard her making an unusual noise. When I went in to her room, her eyes were fixated on the ceiling, she did not respond to my voice, and was slightly shaking. I grabbed her and rushed to a nearby Urgent Care. They took her temp. and vital signs. Her temp. had skyrocketed to 103, which is why she was reacting the way that I found her, and they gave her some Tylenol to bring it down. They also discovered that she had an ear infection. After her temp. began to drop, they gave us an antibiotic and sent us home. All was well until bath time. At 7:00 p.m., Daddy was giving her a bath and I was in the kitchen getting her next dose of Tylenol ready and some milk. That is when Rob yelled for me and rushed to the bathroom to find her shaking violently with her eyes rolled in the back of her head. We immediately realized she was having a seizure. I called our neighbor who is a nurse and she rushed over. I started the car while Rob wrapped up Evelyn and we rushed to the ER. They did some chest xrays and blood tests. They determined that she had an ear infection, influenza A, and pneumonia. They told us that she is in the 1% of children who suffer from febrile seizures when her temperature rises. The good news is that most children grow out of them by age
6. She is on an antibiotic and Termaflu along with Motrin and Tylenol every 3-6 hrs. Mommy keeps wondering why I didn't see any signs, but if you know my daughter, then you know that she never shows symptoms of not feeling well. Our hearts are broken over this news, but we appreciate all the love and support our friends and neighbors have shown us during this time. If you are wondering what you can do to help, we simply ask for prayers.

Indiana Holiday Time

On Wed. night, we hit the highways to visit family in IN. To our great surprise, there wasn't much traffic and Evelyn was an angel all the way! She never once fussed for a toy, book, or any other reason. She just sat in her car seat, petted Mindy, and looked out the window until she fell asleep around 7:30 p.m. We were astonished at how well she traveled! Grandma Donna cooked a large Thanksgiving feast for us and Evelyn gobbled up every last bite on her plate (imagine that)! The next day, we headed up to visit Grandma Jill and the Grandfather along with Grandma Jeanna, Aunt Kenzie, Uncle Ty, and Aunt Abby. We exchanged Christmas presents and played with our second cousin Blake, who is about the same age as Evelyn. Sat. morning we headed back down to Grandma Donna's and exchanged more Christmas presents there. Now, we are home safe and sound and watching the first snowfall of the season--pretty to look at, but Mommy would rather see it in a picture while sunbathing at the beach!

It has been a while...

Since our last post, we have been busy with colds, work, and lots of playing. It seems like either Daddy, Mommy, or now Evelyn has had a cold with a cough for the past month. Of course, Daddy's began as an ear infection that became severe rather quickly. He finally went in to a doctor and got medicine. Then, it was Mommy's turn to fall under the spell of a cold. Now, Evelyn has a runny nose with a cough. Hopefully, we will make it through Thanksgiving without having to see the doctor. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving--we will post pics from our Thanksgiving in IN soon.

Let The Training Begin!

On Monday night at 5:00 p.m., Evelyn came around the corner of the kitchen pulling at her diaper and fussing. When Mommy asked her if she needed to go potty on the potty chair, Evelyn took off for the bathroom. We sat on the potty for a few minutes and read some books, then Evelyn stood up and she had gone potty! We did a high five and celebrated! Since that day, she has gone potty on the chair a few other times--looks like we are heading down the potty training road! My what a big girl she is becoming.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider went trick or treating tonight! Evelyn donned her spider costume, grabbed her ghost bucket, and headed out to get some treats! Daddy and Mommy were excited to take her for her first official trick or treating. She tuckered out after walking for a few minutes, so we carried her most of the way around the subdivision (heaven forbid she rides in her stroller). She enchanted everyone with her "Boo" and saying "Thank you." By 7:30 p.m., we were home, taking a bath, and heading for bed. With all the fun she had this Halloween, we can hardly wait to see what Christmas will bring this year!

Pumpkin Carving

We invited our neighbor over to carve pumpkins last night! She brought her two daughters over to join the fun! Evelyn decided what kind of face to draw on her pumpkin from two drawings that Mommy made on paper. She chose the happy face (imagine that). Then, she helped Mommy draw the face onto the pumpkin. Daddy took over with the actual carving and scooping out the seeds. While that took place, Evelyn ran around playing with the neighbor's older daughter while the youngest one sat quietly in the stroller. Evelyn finally noticed all the seeds on the newspaper and decided to investigate them further--she really enjoyed pushing them around with the ice cream spade. Once the pumpkins were done, we all headed inside for some pizza. After bath, we lit our jack o' lanterns and Evelyn said "Boo!" (Mommy has taught her that for Halloween). We can't wait for Halloween night!

Fall Fun

Grandma Donna arrived late Thursday evening for a weekend visit. On Saturday morning, she and Mommy took Evelyn to the Fall Festival at Mommy's school. Daddy had to do some homework and go to the dr.--he has a terrible ear infection. At the Festival, Evelyn picked an alligator out of the pond for a prize (a duckie--one of her favorite bath toys!) and then headed outside for more fun. She wanted to go down the huge inflatable slide, so Mommy climbed up with her and we slid down together. She loved it and wanted to go again. We then headed over for a pony ride, but as we got close, she began to cry and wanted nothing to do with the pony. So, it was back inside for a quick bite for lunch. Before leaving, we stopped to make our little princess a crown. On Sunday, Daddy was feeling better and we all headed to Rombach's to pick a pumpkin! Evelyn tried to help Daddy pull the pumpkin cart. We met up with our good friends, Owen and Avery. Evelyn loved climbing on the fire truck and going for a tractor ride for kids. When it was lunch time, we headed to the mall to grab a bite and pick up Daddy's new suit. Of course, Evelyn did some shopping and found a winter dress coat and Christmas dress. On the way home, our little diva fell fast asleep.

Newest U.S. Citizen

Evelyn became one of our country's newest citizens today! She donned a white dress with navy and red ribbon trim. At 1:00 p.m. we arrived at the Federal Bldg. for her naturalization. We were taken to a room with several other adults, teens, and children for the ceremony. Daddy took care of all the signing while Mommy kept up with Evelyn. After signing the certificate, it was time to recite the oath. Mommy and Evelyn held up their right hands to recite it. At the end, Evelyn was given an American flag, her certificate, and a letter from the President. It happened very quickly, but the memory of this special day will last a lifetime.

Apple Picking Time!

At about 8:00 a.m. this morning, Mommy learned that the playgroup was heading to Eckert's to pick some apples. Daddy hurried, got dressed, and took Evelyn (Mommy couldn't get ready in time--long, sad story). Once there, the gang took off for the orchards for some fun. Apparently, Evely kept trying to pick the apples off the ground as those were the ones she could reach on her own. Luckily, Daddy was able to convince her to reach for the ones on the trees. Afterwards, they headed out for some lunch and then home. Our little picker fell fast asleep on the way home and slept for a good two hours in her own bed. I wonder if visions of apples were dancing in her head?

Labor Day Leisure

It is Labor Day weekend (hard to believe) and we are taking it easy for a change; well, sort of easy. On Saturday, we took Evelyn to Faust Park to ride the famous carousel and visit the Butterfly House. She had a great time riding the carousel and chasing the butterflies. Daddy's good friend, Todd, came up for a visit. They went to a John McCain rally on Sunday. Mommy and Evelyn would have gone, but Evelyn has had an upset stomach and Mommy didn't feel comfortable taking her. As of now, there aren't big plans for Labor Day other than visit with the neighbors at an annual gathering. Hope everyone had a wonderful and leisurely Labor Day!

What's Going Been Going On?

It has been a few weeks since we lasted posted because we have been a family on the go! After the haircut, we traveled to Hayti to visit family. While there, we visited the Urgent Care as Evelyn developed a large lump from a mosquito bite. Turns out that she is a child who will swell with bites and can have infections as a result (totally worries Mommy). The following weekend, we packed up and headed north to Wisconsin to visit The Grandfather. While there, we visited the Milwaukee City Museum, the Jelly Belly factory, and a local waterpark. Evelyn LOVED the waterpark--especially the small yellow slide! Daddy could barely keep up with our little fish! Once home, Mommy started back to work and Daddy is starting law school once again. So, in a nutshell, that is what has been going on around here!

Snip Snip

Evelyn had her very first haircut today! At 12:30, we went to a children's hair studio called The Hairy Elephant. Prior to being called back, Evelyn enjoyed playing with the Legos and various other toys. Then, Miss Jessica called us back to the chair, which was an airplane. Evelyn really enjoyed trying to "fly" the plane! Miss Jessica put a Baby Einstein video in and began snipping away at Evelyn's hair. Mommy did tear up at the first snip, but Evelyn handled it all like a pro. Miss Jessica informed Mommy that Evelyn has fine hair, but that it will probably thicken as the back seems to have quite a bit of hair. At the end, Evelyn got to choose two white ladybug barrettes to put into her hair. Miss Jessica gave Mommy a certificate with Evelyn's picture and a lock of hair to commemorate the occasion.

Gotcha Day

It is so hard for us to believe, but yesterday was Evelyn's first Gotcha Day celebration. For the life of us, we can't remember where the past year has gone! At 11:15, Rob called home to ask if I remembered what we were doing at that very moment one year ago. We were holding our little angel for the first time in LAX. When I think back to the moment we first saw and held her, I am overcome with the same emotions all over again. I remember how tiny she was and the smile that came over her face when she saw us. Fast forward to one year later, and that same sweet smile is there (only with some teeth now). We celebrated the occasion with our good friends, the Paynes, at Han Gook Kwan; which is a local Korean restaurant. Evelyn enjoyed eating the sprouts and dak bulgogi. Afterwards, we headed over to the Asian Market to buy some sweet treats. Our final stop for the night was for some ice cream. Evelyn shared some with her Daddy. As I watch her toddle around, I say a prayer of thankfulness for God allowing us to be her parents. We are so blessed to have this sweet miracle in our lives. Happy Gotcha Day, Evelyn!

Grant's Farm

On Saturday morning, we headed to South County to visit Grant's Farm. The morning was cloudy and cool (for this time of year)as we pulled into the parking lot. It was 9:00 a.m. so there wasn't the normal large crowd yet. Evelyn LOVED riding the tram around the property and getting to see the deer and various other creatures up close. Once we got off the tram, Evelyn watched the baby goats being fed, the tortoises drinking water, and even discovered the answer to the question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" (A: To see Evelyn up close!) She enjoyed watching the African elephants and the famous Clydesdales; however, she was a little intimidated by their size. Before leaving the Farm, Evelyn met a children's author named Byron von Rosenberg. He read one of his stories to her and we purchased a copy of the book, which he personalized. We headed out around 11:00 a.m., just as the sun began to peak from the clouds and tour buses full of people began to pull in to the Farm. It was a fun-filled morning for the Simmons' family!

Step By Step

July 15, 2008 at 5:30 p.m., Evelyn took her first independent steps! We were in the kitchen and she had cruised her way over to the laundry room door. As I turned around from the sink, I watched as she turned herself around and took two independent steps towards the kitchen chair! I could hardly believe my eyes! Mommy rushed over to her and praised her beyond all belief. Then, I scooped her up and ran outside to where Daddy was mowing the yard to share the good news. This was a moment we have long waited for as she has only been willing to walk as long as someone was holding her hand. Let the independent toddling begin!

Weekend Getaway

Over the weekend, we headed out of town to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. It was a much needed break for us all--especially Daddy. It was a four hour drive to Lake Barkley in KY. This area is very special to us as Murray State is where Rob and I met. We stayed at a B&B named Harbor House and it was a beautiful old home built in 1730 that overlooks the lake. Our good friends Rick and Amy Casey along with Gibby and his new wife, Laci met us there. We spent Friday on the boat out on the lake. Evelyn donned her life vest that we purchased for her. Bless her heart, she struggled to move around in it much, but at least she was safe! The next day, we went to a cookout by the lake with Rick and Amy's families. Evelyn dipped her toes into the lake to cool off and later spent time on the playground nearby. Then, Sunday morning, Mommy and Evelyn took an early morning stroll lakeside. The morning was cool and a little misty, but the air was filled with the smell of a campfire burning. Mommy's mind was flooded with wonderful memories of going camping with her family as a little girl. I hope that someday, Evelyn will have the same fond memories of her childhood. This weekend was definitely a good start to creating them!

Happy Fourth of July!

Evelyn celebrated her first Fourth of July today. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful--highs around 80 degrees and no humidity! Of course, she was dressed patriotically as well as her big sister, Mindy. As the day progressed, we all made our way out to the court for our annual gathering. Evelyn enjoyed the good food and splashing around in her pool. Most of all, she enjoyed the fireworks. We were a bit surprised that she wasn't scared of the sounds. She is such a social butterfly and LOVED all the colors and sounds of the holiday. We hope everyone enjoyed the holiday as much as we did!

First Father's Day

Yesterday we celebrated Rob's first Father's Day! Evelyn woke Daddy up with a big grin, a card, and an iPod. Then, it was off to church for the morning. Afterwards, we headed outdoors for some pool time with Evelyn. Later in the day, we ventured over to the Bruce's for a fun cookout with them and the Bryants. While the Dads all talked about sports and grilled, the Mommies helped cook and watched the little ones play. Evelyn really seemed to enjoy her play time with Jacob and Mason. It was a wonderful time and a very special day for our #1 Dads!

Caught In The Act!

Evelyn has moved into the next phase of mobility. No, she isn't walking on her own, but she is now climbing! Mommy caught her in the act on the stairwell. As you can see from the photos, she is quick! So, Mommy and Daddy will be placing another baby gate at the bottom of the stairwell to keep our little one from scaling the stairs. Mommy will admit, it was neat to see her learn how to do something new, but it sure is scary!