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Embarrassing that I haven't put anything up on here for a few months, but would you believe I've been busy??  Anywho, the most exciting thing about the holiday season, so far, has been creating our first family Christmas card!  So fun!  A big thanks to Andrew Gillman for the awesome photography work.  Looking forward to an amazing holiday season, lots of food and...lots of wine and family!

Projects!

I am utterly frustrated with our technology situation here at the DSM Beecher household.  JJ and I both have laptops that were fully capable...6 years ago when we bought them.  Now they are painfully slow, crash constantly and make simple things (like uploading photos...which is of growing importance to me) quite frustrating.  Pair that with our lack of reliable internet (we use a Sprint card and have a low signal) and blogs become week-long projects for me to get composed and posted.  I think we need a new computer.

Anyway, pretending that I am able to write frequently, I am going to spread out the variety of my posts here. I love writing about Evan, but he's 7 months now and I'm realizing that not everyone may be so interested in things like the color of his poop or how many times he rolls over on the changing table while I'm changing his clothes (no less than 3 times, every time - for those of you interested).  I've been taking on more projects trying hard to turn what used to be the polo club house into our home.  However, our budget is about as limited as Evan reading abilities right now...pretty limited.  And, I hate spending money for things that I'm pretty sure I could do myself.   Most recent project: I've decided to take on stripping and refinishing and end table.  It doesn't seem so hard, but it is the first time I've stripped varnish so there are umpteen areas it could go wrong.  But what's a person to do when faced with a nice table for free...a gift from my parents garage of treasures?  I mean, we could go purchase a table, but I just can't bring myself to drop $100 or more on a piece of furniture.  I know...I'm cheap.  But I also like to do things for myself.  And again - its not in the budget.  Here is the table (this picture loaded in only 15 minutes!).

I have spent days now stripping, scrubbing, and scrapping away during Evan's nap time.  It now looks like this.

Gross.  Now I see why they plastered on the varnish.

Luckily, I have a can of black spray paint and a clear sealant spray paint.  It won't look near as good as the nice wood table I had envisioned, but it will  look decent enough to at least pass off as something I purchased at a garage sale.  The good news is, Evan loves blueberries...or anything really. :)

A Mom's Free Time

I love fall! The cooler weather and shortening days have a way of inspiring me...the cool weather really wakes a person up!  Almost 7 months into this parenting thing and I'm finally settling in and relaxing into things.  Our nights seem more restful (we only wake up 1 or 2 times at night) and the days have a smidgen of free time in them as Evan has begun taking longer naps fewer times daily.  What is a mom to do with herself?? :)  Of course, I'm still cleaning up after the Dominican roommates (they leave next week) and keeping up with our family's daily mess, but I've got my routine down and can knock it out fairly quickly (although admittedly, I need to vacuum more frequently).  I've begun to master my pacifier clip making skills and am pleased that other people are actually interested in buying them. Today (being that it's a little rainy and I don't feel like going out) I'm going to do some research on setting up an Etsy.com shop to market the products resulting from my need to create.  

As inspired by my new favorite person/blogger/cookbook author, Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), I'm trying to hone my photography skills, too.  There is nothing more I would love than to have a sweet camera like the Nikon D3, but - lets be honest - that's out of our budget (barring a winning lotto ticket).  So, I'm setting my sights (no pun intended) on something more like the Nikon D90.  I'm working on a black and white photo wall for our home at the moment.  Here are some of the 200 pictures sister Katie and I snapped the other day.  I need more practice, but I figure if I don't use the camera I have now, I have no business wanting a nicer one! ;) These were taken with our Nikon Coolpix camera, which takes great shots, but the photos print off pretty grainy if I use the zoom at all and it has a hard time capturing action shots.

Hope everyone is having a great fall so far!

The Best 6 Months Ever

Post doctor visit, we stocked up at Target

We've reached the 1/2 year mark and time has FLOWN!   6 months could have been 6 weeks as fast as it feels time has gone.  And what fun it has been!  The rate Evan is growing and learning is so rapid...every day is a new ability!

Official stats: 18.25 lbs and 27 inches of pure joy!  What a little bruiser...our little man cried for about .5 seconds after getting his 6 month shots and was smiling before we left the office.  What a tough little bugger!

Didn't take long to figure the cup out!

Evan is sitting up with some support and rolling all over the place.  He scooches on his belly all around the tile floor downstairs.  He's making a gazillion noises, however his favorite is to put his tongue between his lips and blow, making a slobbery "nener-neener-boo-boo" face and noise.  He follows this lovely action with a laugh and a smile. Evan is pretty sure that he is the funniest guy around (and his father and I agree, however biased our opinion may be).  Evan is SO close to crawling, too.  He has successfully gotten up onto all fours, lifting his belly off the ground, but hasn't figured out what to do from there.  Time to baby proof!!!

Evan helps Ainsley use the exer-saucer.

The amount of food he takes down seems like a lot to me, but I guess he's a growing boy!  He'll take down a jar of food at night mixed in with a bowl of cereal.  Then he gets an 8 oz bottle...and then he nurses.  The boy loves to eat!  I have been making my own baby food lately.  Lizzie (and Ainsley!) came over yesterday and we spent hours making peaches, sweet potatoes, avocados and squash.  We would have made the pears, apples and mangos I have waiting to be pureed, but we ran out of ice cube trays to put them in for freezing. It'll be enough food to last Evan for at least a month!  And so much cheaper and healthier than the jarred stuff.

Celebrating Tyse's Pregnancy in Marshalltown

Evan's 6 month mile mark falls at the end of summer...where did it go???  Rhett, Stokes, Chris and JJ golfed 36 holes last Saturday, book-ended between 2 indulgent nights of grilling (the perfect summer weekend!).  Evan and I traveled to Marshalltown for my cousin Tyse's baby shower, which was definitely memory-making as Lizzie, Ainsley, Lorena, Evan and I all made the trek north together.  Poor Lizzie was sandwhiched between 2 crying babies who seemed to play off each other the entire trip up...and back. Of course we had a trip to the Iowa State Fair recently, too (Evan loved it!).  All of this molded around the crazy busy goings-ons of the farm as time winds down to this years Polo On The Green, the charity polo event held at the farm which brings around 500 people yearly.

I have to say - I'm looking forward to the fall.  Polo activities will be done mid-September and our roommates will eventually leave for their winter destinations (I will miss their company, but I'm definitely looking forward to only cleaning up after JJ and myself for a few months).  Of course we're staring down the barrel at a whole season of Hawkeye tailgating and the 1st Anniversary of our marriage.  How did I get so lucky? We have so much to look forward to!  I leave you with a video of Evan and his buddy Jim (sorry it's sideways...our technology is extremely limited here). :)

Busy Busy!

Wow! It's been a busy minute since I've posted anything about out little guy!  Things have been full and fun the past few weeks.  We enjoyed a trip to Traer over the first weekend of August.  The Wilson family BBQ and golf tournament couldn't have been on a more beautiful day and Evan enjoyed getting attention from many family members.  We got some cute pics of him with his Great Grandpa Evan, Grammy Rhonda and (second) cousin Hayden.  Riding in the golf cart with Dad during the shotgun golf tournament was pretty fun and new for Evan, too...If this kid doesn't grow up to love golf (like his cousin Jack), I'll be very surprised.

Evan and Evan

Last weekend we had our first big road trip and Evan was a champ!  I think being an awesome road-tripper runs in our family. ;) We drove to Spring Lake, Michigan for my friend Libby's wedding.  The drive took us about 8 hours (although the trip out was longer with traffic). Our accommodations for the weekend were at the Holiday Inn, which was, for the most part, quiet and clean.  We arrived on Friday and attended a cocktail party with all of the wedding guests.  Evan was, as usual, very well behaved even though we stayed out long past his bed time.  We have such a good baby!  Saturday was rainy and Mom and Dad were a little tired from restless nights (it's so much tougher to sleep when I have Evan in a crib by the bed and I can hear every toss and turn!).  So, we ordered pizza and at it in bed with cheap wine while Evan napped in his portable crib.  It was my favorite part of the weekend!  Just some laid back family time....which I can honestly say we haven't had all summer!  The wedding was beautiful.  I attended solo as Libby didn't want Evan at the wedding and we weren't comfortable leaving him with an unknown 14 year old babysitter in a hotel room at such a young age.  But, JJ and Evan had fun walking around Spring Lake and I was glad to be able to see my friend's big day.

Relaxing after arriving in MI

Hotels are fun!

On Sunday, we drove home and got to see Lori, Mark, Brooke and Charlotte on their way out of town. I can't believe Charlotte is 1 year old...and running all over the place!  I wish we could have spent more time with them!! But, we had fun visiting and seeing the cousins together. And we did get some bonus time with Papa Mark before our trip to Michigan, which was a nice plus!  Brooke made Evan a super-soft blankie, which is now his favorite thing, ever.  We have taken it nearly everywhere with us (except the YMCA where other kids have sometimes wandered off with the toys Evan beings).  Having Charlotte here and being so mobile was a good tutorial on what we need to baby proof around the farm (ie EVERYTHING).  We have lots of sharp edges, dirty/nasty rugs and flooring and open garbage cans, amongst many other small swallowable things.  Thanks for being a sport about it all, Charlotte!  Next time you come through, I promise a more baby/kid friendly abode.

!!!!!Cousins!!!!!

Practicing for tailgate season in Charlotte's chair.

Evan and his Blankie

 Other than our travels the past few weeks, we've been plain old busy with fun things like checking out Dad's dirt work for the various new structures being built around the farm as well as feeding the ducks (actually, neither of these things have been the cause of our full schedules, but they did make for good photo opportunities).  We are getting geared up for the rest of the month which is full of baby showers and family visits, as well as Polo on the Green (the huge polo benefit that occurs yearly at the farm) and hopefully a trip to the Iowa State Fair!

Lookin good, Dad...lookin good.

Polo Shots

We spent a long overdue day watching polo last weekend.  Despite the heat, Evan loved it.  Robin Allen, the wife of a long time polo player in town, has an excellent camera and snapped a few photos of Evan and I...which I LOVE because I have very few pictures of my little guy and myself (I'm always on the other end of the camera).  I've always wanted be able to have a nice camera that take some professional quality pictures like these...someday I will! But until then, I'm so glad to have to have friends who do.  And, of course, we have a wonderful little camera right now that does a fine job of capturing memories.  But, I digress...enjoy these pictures!

He-Man is 5 Months Old!

5 months ago today JJ and I saw Evan (or "He-Man" as we sometimes call him) for the very first time.  I can't believe how quickly the time has gone since then!  Even more unbelievable is how much Evan grows and changes every day. He's rolling and scooching all over the place, he comes up with new noises daily, he eats cereal mixed with a few veggies or fruit daily and he's thinks cartoons are the most hilarious thing in the world.  He loves his books and stuffed animals and bath time has suddenly become a fun game of "How Much Water Can I Splash Out Of The Tub?".  Evan's sleeping habits have him sleeping until sunrise, although lately he's been waking up a few times at night to have his pacifier put back in or for a quick snack.  But, compared to those first few nights at home 5 months ago....he's come miles!.

HAPPY 5 MONTH BIRTHDAY E.R.B.!

Chatty Chatty

Evan is napping right now (he's been particularly fussy these last few nights), so I'm taking a moment to try and figure out how to upload videos onto this blog.  My phone is chalk-full of videos of our little man, but they are all to big for me to text or e-mail anyone.  Anyone else out there have an HTC EVO who has figured out how to e-mail or text videos to people??  Pretty annoying to have such an awesome camera phone and not be able to share my endless, yet fantastic, footage of Evan laying around and chewing on his feet...it's pretty ground breaking.

Anyway, Evan has become super chatty lately.  He enjoys rolling from his back to his front, chewing on some toys, then flipping over to his back again.  It's safe to say, the boy is starting to move.  He's developed this little scream that is pretty ear piercing, but tolerable - and a little cute - when he's making it as a result of a good mood (when he's pissed and makes this new noise, I worry about the windows breaking).

In other Iowa news, I'm done with my regular responsibilities as Jon's executive assistant.  It feels good to know the replacement I've trained is excited to fill my shoes.  I'll miss it, but I'm staying on the payroll on an hourly basis as there are still a few things that will need my attention in the future.  JJ has his second cutting of hay down, but it's been so incredibly muggy and hot, it's taking a while to dry out.  Thank God the tractors all have fantastic AC.  The lovely Iowa weather has granted us what's shaping up to be a full week of extreme heat (highs in the 90's, heat index toward 110).  But, at least the corn is growing!  Despite the heat, JJ is still working like crazy.  His day's don't end until 8:00 at night, and sometimes later.  So, Evan and I tag along when possible, sneaking in family time at the feed store or in the tractor (which Evan loves).  Last weekend, Evan cruised with Dad in the big tractor while Jim and I manned the little tractor to move bales.  We like to think we're pretty helpful...but there is definitely room for improvement.

Evan got to meet my Uncle Kirk (my dad's brother...can you see the resemblance??) who was in town with 3 of his 4 kids last week.  I haven't seen him since I was a little kid on family vacation years ago, so it was fun to catch up.  It's so special how one baby makes 2 families grow.

A Fabulous 4th

Overeating.  The word that describes the main reason holidays were invented (in my opinion). Our little family enjoyed BBQing with friends and family throughout the weekend.  We hung out pond-side with JJ's friends Troy and Jeff, eating way-too-much pork and ribs.  Of course, the Busch Light was plentiful, too. Sunday Night earned the prize for "most indulgent meal of the weekend." We hosted Sunday Night Supper at the farm and had a blast.  King Crab legs and 2 types of paella cooked by my Dad, stuffed and grilled jalapenos, asparagus, watermelon, focacia bread, strawberry rhubarb crisp plus various appetizers of ample calorie counts were accompanied by martinis and wine.  We love to eat. Period.

Other news is none-too-out-of-the-ordinary.  I begin training my replacement in the office next week, which will be nice to have over and done with.  JJ is working crazy hours, as usual this time of year.  The last few days he's easily worked 14 hours with 3 hay fields to cut/bale, a huge polo tournament at the farm this weekend (20 players in town) and the construction of the indoor arena under way.  I am mandating that JJ teach me how to run the tedder and the rake for the hay so I can help him when days get crazy.  Plus, Evan and I like to get some good tractor time in.