Stanford Week 1 Photo Dump

Lots of pictures! We'll let them do the talking...mostly!

Daddy and his boys in front of the law school. He's official, student card and all! Hooray for our new school.

Umm...cutest sleeping baby EVER! I can't even explain how much I love this kid.

I take at least 20 (million) pictures of him a day. Seriously cute! And smiling now. And cooing.

T really, really likes our new home. The second we wake up he's asking to go play at the park in our backyard. It's awesome!

This university has some major school pride. The bookstore is the size of a house...like 20 houses. It's huge! T really wants the cowboy hat! And I want shirts for the whole fam.

My parents were our first visitors in Palo Alto and we loved having them (and we'd love to have you too you know, wink wink!) This is them in front of the gorgeous church at Stanford. This courtyard reminds me of Spain. LOVE IT!

T watching the volleyballers. He really just sat there saying, "good job" when they hit the ball. Hilarious!

He hates bathtime but boy does he look cute in an Elmo towel!

Something to Smile About..

We're settling into our new home and new life in Palo Alto. Our new pad is actually roomier than I was expecting, and the playground connected to our backyard is T's best fantasy played out in real life!

We've enjoyed daily walks around this gorgeous campus seeing sights like this:

and this:

Yeah, Ev speaks for all of us in saying that our Stanford experience thusfar has definitely been something to smile about!

First Bath

Just six weeks ago we were in the hospital and Evie was having heart surgery. These last six weeks have been busy, and stressful, and full to the brim with miracles--he being the greatest one. Well, his surgery scars have healed and he was finally able to take his first bath. I wish I could say he loved it and relaxed, but the truth is...

he screamed and screamed and screamed through most of it! Can you blame him? He's 7 weeks old and this was his first bath, he had no idea what was going on!

But when he calmed down boy, oh boy, did he look adorable! And we did learn that he prefers the water hot, not warm (he is so my son!) And he loves his head being massaged (he's his dad's son too!).

Mema helped us give Ev his first bath, because no one in the world gets more excited about milestones than her and it is way too fun to have her involved! PS--I made him a swimsuit for modesty purposes!

I'm not sure what's cuter, Ev taking a bath or Ev comfy cozy after his bath! He loves his new lamby from Grammie and that cute new blanket.

T says the darndest things

At the table eating corndogs for lunch. Talmage takes the hot dog out of the breading and holds it up to his chest. "He's eating," he tells me. Then he says, "Oh widdle widdle hot dog. You hungy? You drinking your milk?" Yep, T was nursing the corndog!

***

T is obsessed with binoculars these days. On our walk the other day I told him that he had to ride in the stroller until we found some sidewalk. Next thing I know T had whipped out his binoculars and was "searching for sidewalk." Gosh, with those binoculars he's got going on I'm sure he sees things way better!

***

T: I hungy.

Uncle Chase: Well go eat your corndog. It's at the table. (And side note, there are two corndog stories here but I swear we don't eat them everyday...just every other day!)

T: Uncle Chase, what are my options?

Uncle Chase: You don't have options Talmage, that's dinner.

T: Yes, I have options Uncle Chase. It's the rule.

***

T is talking like CRAZY and says new, hilarious things everyday. I can't believe how smart he is and what he picks up on. He has picked up on that too, in fact. This morning he said, "I so smart Mommy? I your favorite T ever?" I love that little kid!

Ev Update

{Ev @ his last appt--gained weight again!!!}

On Sunday I was feeling overwhelmed by life. My smile masked my inner worry about little Ev, and yet I wanted nothing more than to tell everyone he was just fine. The pediatric cardiologist had heard a new heart murmur the week before, and had ordered an echocardiogram for Everett. What he found was not what I wanted to hear. Everett's coarctation in his aorta had come back and his blood pressure in his arms and legs were already different (meaning the blood flow to the lower half of his body was not perfect). He would discuss options with other doctors and surgeons, and would let us know when he had made a decision about what we'd do next.

The news was just another confirmation that congenital heart disease is a huge part of our new normal; but it was still hard to swallow. In the last few weeks each of Ev's appointments have brought a little helping of hope and a whopping helping of uncertainty and bad news. I have found my anxiety levels are out of control before each appointment as I try to brace myself for what we'll hear.

But what I secretly want to be is normal. You know, everyone else's normal. And I want Ev to have that same normal. You know, the normal that almost all other babies have. So on Sunday when everyone asked about Ev I just smiled and told them he was fine. The last they heard he was recovering perfectly...and I wanted it to stay that way. I didn't want everyone to worry as much as I had been.

Until, that is, a brother in the ward taught me a valuable lesson. I was expressing my concern about sharing Ev's condition with my mom after Sacrament meeting, when this soft-spoken, but inspired man who must have overheard our conversation, "Sister, you should share with us your concerns so we can worry right along with you." I've thought about that comment all week, and I'm grateful for it. He was right. While I don't want others to worry (of course), I do think that our families, our friends and our brothers and sisters in the church can ease our heartache by mourning or worrying right along with us. I'm grateful for his reminder and I'm grateful to all of you who have spent your time and energy loving us and worrying for us. We love you!

Anyway, our follow-up appointment was this morning and the news was slightly positive! The cardiology team does not think Ev needs another surgery yet (last week the doctor thought a surgery would be needed in the next month or so), and instead Ev will be closely monitored. He still has a narrowed aortic arch, his coarctation and a VSD (hole in the heart) so they have lots to monitor! I am grateful for this news. It's definitely better than it could have been.

{The infamous Dr. Si, Ev's heart surgeon. We LOVE this man!}

Silly in PJ's

On Saturday we were in our PJ's until 12...and it was heaven! It was my parents' anniversary (Happy Anniversary Parents!) and when I took out the camera to snap a few prom-shots of them, we had a couple taken of ourselves. Next time we'll wait until we've showered for the photo shoot!

Blessed.

Everett was blessed on Sunday at an intimate meeting at my parents house. Usually, blessings are done in the chapel during Sunday service, but since Ev still cannot attend church we decided to bless him at home. A beautiful blessing was given to him by his dad, and we were grateful to have our local family members in attendance. Ev was blessed, but we consider him a blessing!

One of these days we'll have a family picture where all four of us are looking at the camera. Until then, I think this one is pretty darn cute!

Thanks to everyone who could come, and we missed you to all of those who couldn't.

Papa, Daddy and Ev.

Mema, P-Pa, Mommy and Ev.