Although I don't normally blog about our work-life, I find it a bit necessary to let you know about our last week.  While I dove back in to the fashion world last Thursday and collaborated with a few fashion peeps to do a photo shoot, Dana had big things happening for WDS as well.  And, Eva got to be a part of it all.  During the photoshoot I took part in, I thought it would be the perfect time to start getting out with Eva and see how we would do out on the town without daddy to help.  I was hoping for a bubbly smiling little girl who couldn't help but entertain while we were working, but unfortunately she just wasn't having it.  It was nice to get out with her and luckily be working with a team of girls who love babies and didn't mind that she was crying for most of the time.  In fact, my friend, Jennafer even got a quick pic of her before she started to unfold.

After attempting to work for an hour, I finally threw in the towel and listened to Eva.  It was time to go.  But, it wasn't time to head home just yet.  In another part of town, Dana had almost his entire Web Design Solutions team in his office to meet, have lunch, and get some major work done.  Eva and I popped in on the scene so the WDS girls could all get their hands on the little girl that Dana has been talking so much about.

She first got to meet Emily and Kyle, who have just announced that they are expecting.  We got to talk babies, pregnancy, and everything in between.  They both loved on Eva and you could see in their eyes just how excited they were to be parents soon.  (Congrats, Em and Kyle...we are SOOO happy for you guys)

We then continued down the hall to Normandy, who is the newest addition to the team and also a friend of mine who last saw me when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant.

Lastly, but certainly not least, the first woman to make the WDS team, Paulette, got some quality time with Eva.

On Saturday I had a photographer come to the house to attempt to get a few shots of Eva.  The photographer, Ariana Drehsler, was so ambitious and ready for whatever Eva would allow.  She even bought Eva some cute little headbands (she wore one for the shoot).  It was a tough day for Eva, for she was wrapped in tulle and placed in the most uncomfortable positions, but Ariana did manage to get a couple good shots. The plan was to try and capture shots where Ariana could really emphasize just how beautiful Eva's eyes are.  And, well, I think that was accomplished.  I look at this picture of her and just can't believe it is really our baby girl! 

I also got a quick one of her not so happy, but still oh so cute:

On Sunday, I got to see a really good friend of mine, Megan, who was just in San Diego for a few hours.  I was lucky enough to be able to spend a couple of those hours with her.  We grabbed some lunch and spent a little time at our house before she had to take off on the train to LA.  It was so nice to get that little bit of time with her because she also got to meet Eva for the first time.  Here we are hanging out on our back patio:

Lastly, I would like to share a picture of Eva in her latest "new thing".  She has been sucking on her bottom lip like crazy along with making little razzing sounds accompanied with lots of drool.  Here she is in action:

Until next week....Enjoy and have a great day!

Since the day I told her I was expecting, my cousin-sister, Andrea couldn't wait to come out and meet our little baby and help however she could.  The time finally came and we couldn't have asked for a better visit.  As soon as Andrea got here, Rocky and Eva fell in love.

We spent most of our time relaxing at the house and enjoying the great weather outside.  We went for long walks every day, watched a little TV at night, and just lounged.  Talk about a perfect vacation, especially considering the snowy cold weather Andrea left to come here. 

We did get out a couple times to enjoy some delicious food.  We went out for dinner one night at the same mexican restaurant we went to the weekend before (I just couldn't resist those margaritas).  I think I just wanted a reason to straighten my hair and put on a little makeup (something I barely ever do these days) and get a nice family picture...

On Andrea's last day here, we also treated ourselves to Yogurtland for some frozen yogurt (you were with us in spirit, Aunt Rhonda).  Yum!  Yum!

The best part of the whole trip was on the last night that Andrea was here.  We all got to witness Eva's first giggle.  It was such a moment to experience!!!  Andrea was holding Eva as I was making salads and we were talking when all of a sudden I look at Eva and she has this HUGE smile on her face.  I started talking to her and immediately she started to giggle.  Then, she just couldn't stop.  Dana was in the other room overhearing it and quickly grabbed the video camera to luckily catch a good amount of the giggles.  We were all laughing so hard (including Rocky).  It was so great to enjoy that first giggle with everyone there.  It is something I will never forget :)

Over the weekend, Eva and I had some wonderful guests.  My close friends from college, Miranda and Natalie met in San Diego for a girls weekend.  They wanted to come meet baby Eva and get away from the cold to spend some long needed time together.  Being that they, too, are mothers of girls (Miranda-Brenna, 2 1/2 yrs, Natalie-Norah, 21months), they were able to come out and share their experiences in motherhood and teach me a little of their already found knowledge.

Miranda flew in from Minnesota on Thursday evening.  She had Eva in her arms before she could even get her suitcase in to her room.  And Eva quickly took a liking to her fingers.  Mmmm, yummy!

Miranda, Eva, and I spent Friday shopping at the mall.  I have way too hard of a time getting out for leisure shopping, so it was so much fun when we went.  Once we exhausted ourselves of shopping, it was time to get home and relax a bit before Natalie flew in that night. She, too, was greeted with little Eva before she even got her suitcase out of the kitchen. 

Once our girls weekend began, we spent all day and night relaxing, chatting and thinking back of the good ole college days. We also got out a little bit.  We went to my friend Jennafer's Spring Trunk Show where we drank a little champagne, ate some snacks, and chit chatted with other shoppers. 

For dinner, we were able to get out for mexican food, which I was so excited about.  I had my first margarita since long before I was pregnant.  They were just as delicious as I remembered them.  Yum!  Yum!  We then followed up with Brunch Sunday morning.  Here is a family pic (we don't get very many of these...)

Natalie, Miranda, Eva, Rocky, and I took a walk around the neighborhood after all the food we had been eating all weekend where I also got to show them our neighborhood.  And, once we got back, it was time to say good-bye.  It wasn't easy by any means, nobody wants to have to say good-bye to someone you just can't get enough of.  But, they both have their own families that I am sure they missed, so it was their time.  Natalie and Miranda, I love you so much, thank you for coming out here.  Taking the time out of your lives to visit me and help me with Eva is the best gift I could have ever asked for.  I miss you terribly already!

You read it right, folks, little Eva is 3 months old! 

She weighs in at 12 1/2 lbs and 23 3/4" long.  She is growing so fast and is showing more and more personality every day.  She is starting to make more noises and trying to talk to us all the time.  She is doing very well with tummy time and is able to left her head 90 degrees for a few minutes.  She has grown very interested in lights and now really loves her entertainment system, where there are strobe lights as she looks up.  She is kicking her feet quite a bit and loves standing (with our help, of course).  She  never wants to sit, always standing.  Today, we witnessed another new and exciting advancement.  We put a rattle in front of her and she kept grabbing at it and keeping her eye on it.  Soon enough, she'll be picking it up and playing with it :) 

She sure is a delight to have around.  Our little Eva makes us so proud. 

So, last Wednesday was my 30th birthday.  I was super excited to leave the 20's and enter into the 30's.  Usually, Dana and I like to plan a trip to celebrate both Valentine's Day and my birthday, but this year had to be a little different since traveling with Eva wouldn't have been a very relaxing trip.  So, Dana assured me that he had something planned and it would be better than any other year.  Not sure how he thought he could plan something as such, but I trusted he knew what he was doing. 

Tuesday night, Dana came home from work a little later than usual, but it went unnoticed, for I was talking on the phone to the soon-to-be Gwenda Lyn Hill and changing Eva's diaper and trying to get dinner started.  Dana came bursting through the door in such excitement he could barely control himself.  I was thinking he must've had a really good day at work and he wanted to tell me about it.  But then...the doorbell rang.  Who could it be?  He insisted I be the one to answer the door and so I did.  I opened it to see my mom, my brother, and his girlfriend!!!  Thats right, they flew from Wisconsin/Minnesota to surprise me for my 30th birthday!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  What a beautiful surprise!

As I watch Eva grow before my eyes, it is so hard to be far away and try to explain to my family what Eva is doing, how much she is changing, and how big she is getting.  Every time she smiles, cries, kicks her feet, falls asleep in my arms, anything at all, I want to say "Just look at her!".  It was such a great feeling to finally share that with my mom, Derek, and Cortney.  Uncle Derek is a typical guy in that he hasn't held many babies or ever changed a diaper, but as soon as he saw little Eva, he became a natural.  He changed his first diaper ever:

Happy Valentine's Day to all our family and friends. 

Kisses and Hugs,

Eva

We don't have any major changes to report about Eva, but she still shows tremendous strength more and more everyday, smiles so much all day long, and makes each day even more of a blessing than the day before. 

We have found a new love for the Baby Bjorn, as long as she is faced outward.  She loves looking around and bouncing from here to there.  And, sometimes she will even fall asleep, how cute is she here?

And, here we are cooking:

We've been reading a book every morning.  Not sure Eva is catching on yet, but we like our mornings together on the rocker.

Who doesn't like looking at a smiley baby?

And, it isn't just mommy and Eva.  She gets her time in with the boys, too.

She dresses like daddy sometimes, too

Boy oh boy, I just can't enough of this little girl.  :)

Last September, I visited my family in Wisconsin.  During that visit, I stayed with my dad for a couple days.  In the past, he has always wanted to "talk sports" with me, but I would never let him.  It was boring.  But, during this last visit, my dad said "Brooke, I know you don't like talking sports, but I have to say this:  The Packers are going to the Super Bowl this year and they are going to win.  We have a strong team and they have what they need to kick some butt this year."  Well, being that I've been trying to learn more about football and get excited about the games, I kept that conversation in the back of my head and decided I needed to become a Packer fan.  It's in my blood, no matter what I say or do, I am, in fact, a cheesehead.  And, Dana, by marriage is now a cheesehead as well.  So, what do cheeseheads do when their team goes to the Super Bowl?  They throw a Super Bowl party!!  Not only do we throw the party, but thanks to my mom, we had special food shipped in from Wisconsin to enjoy.  My mom sent us cheese curds, beef sticks, and bratwursts (the best bratwursts all of our guests have ever had, might I add).  To complete the menu, we also went out to buy Miller Lite and Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat beer. 

The Nevins family was also decked out in Packer gear to look the part.  I found some t-shirts for Dana and myself, and my mom and grandpa treated Eva and Rocky to Packers t-shirts expecting only a picture of them in it in return.  So, here is what they got before the game for good luck:

Why I didn't think to get a family picture is beyond me, but here I am with my baby girl :)

To make the game more interesting, Lori made a chart of squares for us to bet on, and Eva won in the second quarter!!

Once the Packers won, Dana showed his true spirit by eating plenty of green frosting from some cupcakes just so he could do this ;)  :

When the night ended, Rocky said good-bye to his friends, Frito and John

And Liz rocked Eva to sleep

Congratulations, Packers!!!!  You Rocked!

Thats right, folks, time is flying by fast...Miss Eva is two months old!! 

She went to the doctor last week for her 2 month check up where we found that she is ranking at 50% in all measurements, so she is right on track!  She now weighs 10 lbs 5 oz and is 22" long.  The doctor was very impressed with her strength and alertness, making mommy and daddy very proud.  She also got her immunizations, which might've been the hardest thing I've had to do with her to date.  I know every mom says it rips your heart out, but I didn't really think it would be anything...until I heard her cry.  It instantly brought tears to my eyes.  :(  But, she survived and is back to being a happy baby.

We had our last visit with the lactation consultant, Rose.  We have settled on a routine that will work best for all of us, which is a tremendous relief.  Nursing had been quite a challenge and took up much of our time, but now that we have found our routine, we have much more time in the day for walks and playtime.  Here is Rose, sending off Eva for her last visit.

Aside from the doctor's visits, we've also been much more comfortable getting out and about.  We now spend more time outside on walks which is probably my favorite thing because I love walking, and now that I know she loves it I can walk all day.  And, of course, it makes Rocky a very happy little boy, too.  I've also started reading to Eva.  In the mornings, after she's done eating, we sit in the rocking chair and read.  I'm not sure she fully understands what's going on yet, but she'll be following along in no time :)

Last week, we had a visitor come over to spend some time with us.  Unfortunetly, Eva slept the whole time, but it was great to catch up with my friend, Elisa. She was actually the very first person to meet Eva, so it was nice to show her just how much Eva has grown since she was born.  :)

Our days don't just consist of walks and visitors, though, for Dana has been really busy with work.  In order to help out, we thought about it long and hard and decided it was time to show Eva the ropes.  She is now the newest Sales Representative who is added to Web Design Solutions team.  If you are interested in any web development or design, she is the new "go to" girl.  

And, last but certainly not least...GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PACKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry, Jennifer...da Bears lose...Booyah!)

While we have left the house with Eva a little bit here and there, we hadn't yet brought her to a gathering with other people.  Last weekend, we had our trial run.  Our neighbors, Pedro and Cynthia, threw a surprise birthday party for another neighbor, ET.  We were eager to go so that we could get to know our neighbors and test a night out with Eva.  It actually went quite well.  We dressed Eva up in a cute little dress (finally a reason to dress her up in more than a onesie!), thank you Miranda, she looked adorable!

She got tons of attention from everyone and even met a potential babysitter.  Phaedra is the granddaughter of ET and she just couldn't get her eyes off Eva.  She immediately told me that she is certified in everything and loves babysitting.  I felt bad because I could tell she really wanted to hold her, but Eva was like a ticking time bomb, it took a lot of work to keep her from fussing too much and I just knew once I handed her over, the party would've been over for us.

ET (he says it stands for Even Tempered) was very surprised and excited to meet and all the neighbors and hang out for the night.  I think the party was a great turn out.  We, too, got to meet many neighbors with whom I am hoping we can get to know better.  Our neighborhood is so close knit and amazing, we are so happy to live here.