School is a tad overwhelming

Man I am really no good at this. 

I have been forever absent again. 

School has taken precedence over blogging, and personal life, and social life, and everything. 

Last week was especially tough. I had a midterm paper to write and I was suffering from some sickness/stress/anxiety/women issues. But I got it done, and turned it in and got an 87%

I am a little over booked this semester. But now that that paper is over I can refocus, until my final paper in 4 weeks.
My classes are weird. It's hard to explain.
I go to 2 schools, one does regular 16 week semesters. The other does 4 sets of 8 week condensed terms per semester.

So I have 2 classes at the community college here, well one regular 3 credit class and one 1 credit class. (both online)

And then I have 3 classes at the university online. In the first second and fourth terms. So my next class will not start until my first class ends. Thank god, because I have a huge ass paper due at the end of this class (History of Japan to 1800) and I don't think I could handle starting another class before this one is over. 

Oh and I found out a class I took for fun, ended up filling a needed requirement, not just an elective! More time for activities! WooT! 

But things are going well.
Evey is doing great. She is getting bigger and bigger every day. She is talking up a storm. She is bossy, and determined. She is super smart too. She can count to 15 (most of the time) and she is working on her ABC's. 

We just had a wonderful visit from Paul's mom. We did so many fun things, beach trips, a trip to the Zoo, shopping. We had a blast. 

So really besides school, not much is going on here. 

I am thinking of doing another Vlog soon. The next Golden Vlog is up in a couple of days, So I need to film that. Plus I was thinking of doing a hair dye one.
I need to color my hair again, so why not film it? 

So that's all, I should be studying, but instead I am helping my sister with a paper, and writing here. 

I suppose I should go to bed, or study. 

So Sayonara! 

Oh and Aiko Says Hello! 

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Sister Smarty Pants

I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate my little sister. She received her Associates in History and Anthropology this weekend. 

I am so very proud of her!

You beat me this round sister, now lets race to the BA! 

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How are we?

I feel like I haven't really done much of an update in a while. So here goes, an update, in mostly pictures

Evey has learned to be sassy and stubborn

"hey, at least i'm not standing on the table anymore..."

but remains cute as hell

We BBQ a LOT, like almost every weekend for the last month

ymmm Ribs

We have started to think about maybe potty training (someday)

We have breakfast with dinosaurs sometimes 

I am cooking much more frequently than in Montana

The weather is pretty nice 

I am still trying desperately to drop a few pounds

desperately

happy mornings (not too early usually, thankfully)

But all in all we are having a good time, and getting along pretty well in cali. 

It's not what we expected, but hey, it's not snowing either, so there's that! 

hiding those roots

Ikea is going to put me in the poor house, good thing it's over an hour away and surrounded by crazy traffic, or I would be there every day.

 I can't forget Little Red! We traded in my beloved Hello Kitty Mobile (Jeep Patriot) for a much more gas friendly Toyota Corolla! Also, Yay for no more transmission problems! (briefly mentioned here)

Oh and I am starting school soon. Gotta finish someday right? Two classes start this month, and one next month, and that's all I've got planned until spring. Wish me luck! 

The Battery Kid

Sometimes I think twice about posting things. Do I really want to share that with the world? Yeah, I'm an open book here and if one person can learn from my fail, I may as well share. Even parenting Fails (Example A)

Baby Roseola 

So without further delay, our most recent parenting fail-

Weekends I get to sleep in, Well a few weeks ago Evelyn had gotten up with Paul at about 9. At some point while he was in the bathroom she climbed onto a table and he found her with a battery, a AA battery. When he told me about it an hour or so later I mentioned that there had been two batteries there because I had just taken them out of something. We frantically searched the house and could not find the other battery. So off to the ER. The nurse came out to get us from triage and asked "is this the battery kid?" ... yep, we have the battery kid. We told our story half a dozen times, and yes we are missing a AA battery, I know how unlikely it is that she would be fine, and not have choked if she did try to swallow a AA battery, but we  could not find it, don't want to risk it. After a quick x-ray we still had no battery. But at least we knew it was not inside her.
I did end up finding the battery several hours later under some toys. So at least we don't have to worry about that anymore.
All of this after a week of her getting molars and getting a mysterious rash, that was later discovered to be Roseola. 

Happy Fathers Day!!

Evelyn would like to wish you and your family a Happy Fathers Day. 

With a special shout out to all the first time daddies.

- Alana

We got lucky

Evelyn lucky in the daddy department. Paul is such a great dad. He is so attentive, and he has been from day one, there was no more "new parent" adjustment period for him than there was me.  Through my whole labor he was by my side, and as soon as Evelyn came out he rushed to be by her side, to be sure she was okay. 

 When he was finally given the opportunity (after she was fed) he held her with such care, and gave her so much love. 

Upon arriving home, he would get up and take her after I fed her. Then he would watch cartoons, or play video games with her so I could sleep in a little bit longer.

A few days ago we started cloth diapering during the day. This is a trial and error thing for us. But he is very good at getting the diaper on, even though it doesn't fit. 

He even asked if he could wear her in the Moby while making dinner the other night. 

He is so great with her, and she loves him so much. 

Even now that he has gone back to work, when he comes home he does the dishes, and then cuddles up with her (and the playstation) as I prepare dinner.  Or they nap like today. 

- Alana

Family Fun

Before Evelyn was born my family was in town. In fact they were in town just for her, but she decided to be a week late and arrived a mere 24ish hours before my sister had to go to the airport to leave. But the time they were around we did have fun.  I really fail at taking pictures when we are just around the house, which is mostly what we did, last minute baby prep and relaxing.

Andrea (my sister) and Renji helped model the Moby Wrap, so we would know how it looked.  (I know she isn't wearing it 100% right, but if she were we would have never gotten Renji in.) 

Okay this next picture needs a little intro. There is this terrible, horrible, crude, rude, yet incredibly hilarious game out there called Cards Against Humanity. It's just like Apples to Apples, but highly inappropriate. Well one night Paul, my Sister Andrea, BIL Matt, My Mom, and I all decided to play. 

I strongly suggest not playing with your mother unless she has a very good and slightly inapropriate sense of humor. 

My Mother won one a hand with this. 

We played for a few hours and laughed so hard I thought I would go into labor (I didn't, but it was a good shot!) So much inappropriate hilarity. I strongly suggest you go get yourself a copy. 

You can download your own free copy of Cards Against Humanity here (you can buy it there too). Once you download it, put it on a thumb drive, take it to staples, or kinkos, or wherever and have them print it on cardstock. I was going to just print it at home, but there are quite a few black faced cards and those would use all my printer cartridges, which would cost more than the $6.50 Staples charged us. 

A few days later I had Evelyn. My dad arrived the day before, so he got to see her while she was still brand new.

Matt, Andrea, Me & Evelyn, and Paul
I look like hell.

My dad poses. Yes we are inside and my dad is wearing his coat.
He was cold the whole time in Montana. 

My mom, loving on her new granddaughter. 

Andrea, a new Auntie

Aunt Andrea and Uncle Matt

Grandma Linda

Grandpa Scott, pretending to be asleep, because that's what Grandpas do.

"I was just resting my eyes!"

Auntie Andrea

This is a picture of my mom holding me when I was born. You can see that Evelyn got my head full of hair. 

Cute faces for Grandma

Look at that tiny baby

Uncle Matt seems to like her

First night home, chilling with Grandpa

Watching TV

Falling asleep for Grandma

I don't know what my dad is doing here, he's a silly guy.

My mom, with her Grand-dogs in her lap. 

More Grandma and Grand-dogs. 

And that's about it for my family. Pauls mom has a little bit further to travel, so she is coming out soon, and his dad is going to come out in the next few months. We are also planning on driving out east sometime this summer, so Evey can meet the rest of her Uncles and her other Auntie. So more family meeting pictures will be up over the next few months, because Evey can't wait to meet the rest of her family.

But Evey is loading her diaper so I must go now, oh the joys of motherhood!

- Alana