It's My Least Favorite Time of the Year

That's right. Football season has begun with pre-season games. Luckily for Gilbert, Eva is fascinated by just about anything on TV.
Nemo was on. So many bright colors!

Studio Pics

Here are the pictures of Eva that we had taken when she was 15 days old. We used the same photographer that did the belly shots. http://www.alisoneden.com/

Enjoy!

Growing Like a Weed

I can't belive how fast Eva has grown. She is now officially too big (mainly too long) for her newborn clothing.

She is talking even more now and has made some new sounds lately. She has also developed 2 new cries. One when she hears a noise and is scared and the other cry is when she is super ticked off/tired. She also has gained great head control, likes to "stand up" and is always putting her fingers in her mouth.

Standing

Doing the "Dr. Evil"

Yum Yum. These fingers are delicious.

Everyday is something new. Can't wait to see what is next!

She loves it when we sit and bounce on the exercise ball.

My European

Since Gilbert and I have been together, I have tried to influence his fashion with a bit of my own. Some ideas he agrees with right away and other ideas have to grow on him for awhile. My latest idea for him was some leather driving moccasins. This fashion idea has met the most resistance to date, but once I convinced him that the look was very European, he caved in. Lucky for me, Nordstrom was having its Fall Preview Sale, so we went to go and see our shoe guy Carlos who I knew would back me up. Here is the result.

Right again!!

Spender vs. Saver

On Wednesday evening, I went over to my friend Jenny's for a seminar on how to raise a financially responsible child. Granted, I don't have to think about this for a few years, but it was good information and made me reflect on my views of money and how they have changed over the years.
My parents worked very hard to teach my sister and I the value of money. We didn't get the things we wanted - we got the things we needed. And plenty of times my parents told us "no". Looking back, I can't imagine how much money they spent on us every month on things like music lessons, gas taking us to and from music lessons, sports, friends houses, etc., car and insurance payments, vacations, trips to see Grandparents.... Things that you don't appreciate until you become an adult and look at the sacrifices they made!
At the beginning of the seminar there was a little questionnaire to help you figure out if you were a spender or a saver. I am happy to report that I am half and half - which is a huge accomplishment. A few years ago I would have been a hands-down spender:)
Growing up my parents gave us an allowance. We received a dollar for each year of age. This money was used to purchase all extras - presents for our family and friends, clothes, hair cuts and products, movie tickets, etc. I remember working during the summers and some during the school year. I was saving for a trip to go to Martinique (which never panned out) and then I also saved and purchased a new cello bow. At that time, I wasn't so caught up in "stuff". Towards the end of my senior year in high school and in college that changed and I started to accumulate a lot of stuff and debt. I went from a saver to a spender.
This leads me to believe that as a parent I can lay out a strong financial foundation for my children and try to teach them about the value of money and wants vs. needs. But on some level, I think each child is different. Some will be more swayed by the things of this world than others. Case in point is my sister. She started a saver and stayed a saver. She was able to study in England her senior year - traveling all over Europe with money she saved. My parents didn't do anything different with her - but their teachings stuck more with her than with me! And I have always admired that about my sister. She never got caught up in having just the right stuff - she was happy with what she had.
I am glad that I am half and half and hope that I will move back towards being a saver. Marrying a saver sure helped. Gilbert keeps me grounded and keeps my spending in check. Plus I am just not as concerned about "keeping up with the jones anymore". Here's to hoping this good trend continues!

Show-Off

This weekend we had the opportunity to show off Eva a lot. On Saturday afternoon Eva and I had lunch with Megan. It was great to see her, celebrate her birthday (a little late) and catch-up. I can't wait to be able to share a margarita with you Megan!
Then later that afternoon Nikki, Brad, Katie and Katie's friend Mariah stopped by in-between some of Katie and Mariah's soccer games. Eva was fast asleep in her swing during the visit. I guess the trip out to eat earlier in the day really wore her out!
Today we went to church and were able to make it through the entire sermon this time! Yeah! Here are some pictures of Eva all dressed up in her Sunday best:



Then later this afternoon Gilbert's friends from high school Juan and Claudia and their 3 sons stopped by. They are completely without power or water in the Valley because of Dolly - so they decided to take a little vacation and visit some family in Austin. Claudia is pregnant with her 4th - and it is a little girl that they will name Leah (one of my favorite girl names!). They brought Eva a present and from the looks of it, she really likes it!

This week my goal is to work on getting Eva a little more on a schedule. I really need to try to get her to nap about 3 times during the day and am learning that I am not a horrible mother if I put her in her swing or in her co-sleeper (even if she is not sleeping). Gilbert reminded me today that Eva is probably like me - and needs her alone time. So that is what I will attempt this week. Wish me luck!

2 Month Check-Up

On Tuesday Gilbert and I took Eva for her 2-month checkup. She now weighs 10 lbs 9 ozs and is 22.5 inches long. She is in the 50th percentile for both weight and length.

She also received her first round of immunizations. She got 3 shots and an oral medication. She screamed after the shots, but after a few minutes was calm enough to fall asleep. She was a little out of sorts all evening, but when she woke up for her 2:30AM feeding, she seemed to be back to her normal self.

I know there are a lot of different thoughts when it comes to immunizations. Some people go the traditional route, others look at a delayed schedule and then others make the choice not to immunize at all.

After speaking with our pediatrician, we have decided to go the traditional route with immunizations. She was able to point out flaws in some of the recent studies that link autism to immunizations and was also able to dispel the thought that your child should only be introduced to so many antigens at a time. Antigens are in the air we breathe (pollen) and the food we eat. A case of strep throat can expose a child to 25-50 antigens! Years ago when everyone was required to get the polio vaccine, there were over 150 antigens in that one vaccine!

The diseases that these vaccinations protect against can be deadly. And I love my daughter way too much to take any risks.

http://www.quackwatch.org/