Autumn Happenings

First big news: Evan got a pony walker. Yay!!! I am so excited that he has the opportunity to be mobile on top of getting a bit of independence for the first time in 2+ years. He still has a long way to go but getting his feet onto the floor is nothing but good for him. And to see his face light up as I help him step and walk is sooooo adorable. It is obvious that he enjoys it and he is starting to 'get it' already. It has only been one week since we got it and he is pushing backwards to move. I'll take anything at this point. He will learn to move forward with more practice.

I think he likes it

This past weekend was our bi-annual family wine crush. I married into a pretty cool family I must say! The wine crush is always a nice celebration where we get to eats lots of yummy food, listen to traditional Italian music and drink some home-made wine while makin' some. Evan's first wine crush was just about a month after he came home from the NICU. So it was one of the first real outings he went to. It was nice to see the how far he had come since his wee days. This year he had his little cousin Alison to entertain. It was great to see them interact. And of course we took plenty of pictures.

Wine Crush 2010

Wine Crush 2012

(Evan is actually sitting in Joe's arms. His legs are twice as long. 

And good thing Joe's mustache didn't last!)

Fall is my favorite season. I consider myself to be a bit of a 'leafer' or what some call 'leaf peeper'. Most people refer to 'leaf peepers' as the tourists and out-of-towners that come around this time of year to check out the foliage. I, on the other hand, consider myself to be a 'leafer' because I am obsessed with watching the foliage and taking pictures of it. I get so excited when I see a nice vibrant red or orange tree. I honestly need to pay more attention when driving instead of looking at all the nice color.

The start to some color 

Last year we got gipped on the foliage and Halloween. Thanks to Storm Alfred, we had almost 2ft of snow on the ground along with huge branches, trees and power lines. The storm pretty much knocked out the whole state for close to a week, more in some parts. The foliage, still on many of the trees, was the culprit; the trees couldn't handle the weight of the snow and ice. Not only did we have no power, water or heat but Halloween was approaching and it was taking a long time to restore power and clean up the damage. Most towns had to cancel Halloween and others rescheduled trick-or-treating to another night. (I was super bummed and I can't even go trick-or-treating anymore!)

Our backyard- Storm Alfred 2011

Our backyard- Storm Alfred 2011

I am very excited for Halloween this year. Finally, Evan is at a developmental stage where he can enjoy a hayride, pumpkin picking and maybe even a little trick-or-treating? (Ok, ok that would really be for me) When I dress Evan for Halloween, I haven't been crazy about putting him in an elaborate costume. I usually just stick to something comfy and easy on his skin. Once he is older the choice will obviously be left up to him. Evan's first Halloween he was dressed as Superman and during the blackout last year he wore his cowboy sleeper to bed.

Evan's 1st Halloween 2010

(gotta give props to Cassie for an excellent costume choice!)

I have many things to look forward to, the weeks following Halloween. For one, my husband won a trip to Puerto Rico!!!! It was pretty unexpected but no complaints here. Though I was extremely excited when I heard the news, it happened to be on the same weekend I already had a trip planned. And there was no way I would completely cancel this trip either. Luckily, I was able to reschedule it to the following weekend.

And where might I be going, you may ask? Well, Evan is finally going to meet a special friend, Brenna. We are heading out to Illinois to meet the Westlake family. I found Courtney's blog only a few weeks after Brenna was born. They were the first family that I reached out to in the Ichthyosis community. I felt willingly obligated to share my experiences, caring for a child with HI, to help their journey with Brenna. I am very much looking forward to meeting the whole Westlake clan. (one month count down today!)

The next few months are going to fly by. Before you know it, it will be Christmas and hopefully then, we will be celebrating Evan's accomplishment of sitting on his own. Lots of things to look forward to.