Gotcha Day

The 11th was "gotcha day" for Evan - the day he joined his "forever family". It does not feel like a year has elapsed since the "Giving and Receiving" ceremony but when I think of all the events that have transpired, it is definitely more than a year's worth of activity. I have a lot to be thankful for! Best wishes to all, this holiday season, from me and my best Christmas present from 2006 - Evan.

I do!, I do!, I do!

Does this count as Evan's first sentence? I've been hearing it a lot lately. Evan wants to do EVERYTHING on his own and is incessant with his determined tries. It's been a challenge to let him try and learn things while still actually getting anything done.

Generally, Evan is going through a bit of a demanding phase. He throws mini tantrums (noisy but tearless), sets his jaw in a determined way, and tries to test his boundaries. Tonight, he looked me right in the eye and thew his fork on the floor (he knows he should not). This earned him a very short (and effective) bit of time out.

Despite the above things, Evan is a terrific and easy-going kid.

Duh!

Evan has finally started to differentiate his prepositions... This has been a refreshing change since there was a long period where everything was "down". Now, when he wants up, he says so. Today, he was extending his arms upwards and grunting, so I told him to "use his words". In the exact tone of an annoyed impatient teenager stating the obvious, he said "up". So, while I've been bossed around by Evan for some time, now I'm getting it with attitude.