Evelyn At Sixteen Months

The day you turned 16 months, we celebrated an early Christmas at Gigi and Papa's house.

You love your daddy so much.  You follow him around the house in the morning while he gets ready for work.  I never noticed how much attention you were paying to his morning routine until you found a q-tip the other day and stuck it in your ear and twisted it around.  Ha!  I have never done that in front of you (because I don't do that at all); but you have seen your daddy do it and you copied him perfectly!  After you cleaned out your ears with it, you cleaned out your baby doll's ears too!

"Are you telling me I have no bottoms to match this amazing top, Mom?"

You loved your dancing baby!  We've already changed the batteries.

You also loved your play necklace and bracelet!

You got boots and a new coat just in time for a Christmas snowstorm.

Your dad took a trip to the Music City Bowl with some friends, then we all got a stomach virus, the flu (just you and Spencer had that), and then another stomach virus and then you had an upper respiratory infection.  While on an antibiotic for that, you got an ear infection in both ears and started another stronger antibiotic.  Thankfully, that cleared it all up.  January was rough.  We missed Aunt Hillary's visit to Little Rock because of the stomach virus, and she didn't get to come back to visit you for another month and a half.  She couldn't believe how much you had grown!

This was a late Christmas celebration in Benton following the first stomach virus of January.  You loved opening all of your fun gifts from Nana and G-Dad.

There were a few healthy and fun days thrown into all the craziness.  You and Spencer were both so cute this Sunday morning, that I tried to take your picture together.  You were excited about it and willing to participate.  You sat where I told you to and would say, "Cheese!"

As soon as you sat down by Spencer for the picture, he ran off.

Aunt Hillary got you that sweet Cinderella dress for your birthday.

Spencer wasn't really excited about taking a picture.

I love your little expression while he's screaming in your face.  I feel like you're thinking, "What's the big deal, Spencer?"

Then, you were tired of his screaming.  I was with you.

You had such a great holiday season, despite all the sickness that followed.  You got to briefly play with my the Hart cousins, the Stones, and the Mertzs.  You were a trooper in the ice storm from Conway to Little Rock and sleeping at Gigi's house while our power was out, and even while you were sick.  You slept through the night when you had your ear infection, which is something you still don't do when you're healthy.  You also took two naps a day while you were sick--you were pretty pitiful.  You're such a funny, smart, energetic, precious little lady, Evelyn Rose.  I don't know how it's possible, but I think I love you more every day.