Passport

Since Sarah Palin finally got around to getting a passport, I figured it was high time for Evan to get one too. He has only had his Vietnamese passport and a pile of paperwork to this point. If all goes well, he'll have a US passport in 3-4 weeks (still in his Vietnamese name...have not gotten around to changing that yet). I hope all goes well - they took all of my original adoption documents, promising to return them. They had better!

Evan, Lecturing

Among several fun and funny things in Arkansas was Evan's reading of Dr. Seuss, from his makeshift podium:

Here's a video (my first YouTube upload):

En Route to Arkansas

Recent Conversation

Conversations are getting more and more interesting around here...

Evan: Daddy, come sit down - play - right now. Build garbage truck [anything built of legos is a garbage truck these days]
Me: How about I sit here [on the sofa]?
Evan: No...sit down on carpet - it's nice [Evan runs his palm across the carpet to show how comfortable it will be and looks at me with a knowing smile]

Swimming!

As of tonight, Evan made a major swimming breakthrough! We've been doing parent-child swim plus some "open swim" at the YMCA for a few months and Evan has always been pretty comfortable in the water. He jumps right in and can more or less get himself to the surface but then he pretty much wants to hang on to me. We've been working on using one of the foam "noodles" across his chest and under his arms for buoyancy but up until tonight, he's preferred to just smack the thing on the water. Tonight he figured it out and spent 30 minutes independently kicking his way around the pool, happily babbling to himself. I was amazed how quickly he could move through the water and how well he could steer. Of course, Evan is not exactly swimming but this was a huge step in that direction.

Carnivore

Climber

Is it a sign?

I'm in New York tonight, far from Evan. He seemed OK with me being gone for a few days and he responds "New York" when asked where Da Da is. This morning, I repeated that Da Da was going on an airplane to New York and Evan thought about it before responding "Da Da Evan New York." Well, I wish I could take him. When I picked up my rental car, there were two child seats in the back - one for Evan and one for an infant. Is this a sign?

Dad's Car

Soccer

At Ikea

No injury - Evan insisted on bandaid!

The Scariest Moment

About two weeks ago Evan got a nasty stomach virus that took about a week to work its way through his system. He was throwing up on and off for about 5 days along with the other nastiness that goes with intestinal things. Two weeks ago, he was about 4 days into it and seemed to be on the mend - maybe even ready to go to daycare. I had gotten him his morning drink and dressed him when he got wobbly in my arms. I put him on the floor and he lay down face down and knees tucked in and started dry heaving. I dutifully put a towel under him and prepared myself for a small cleanup job. I noticed that Evan was not throwing up anything and that his eyes seemed to be rolled back. At this point I started freaking out. Was he having a seizure? Was he choking? I anxiously watched and reassured myself that he was breathing and his heart was beating. I don't know how long it lasted but Evan's heaving stopped and I picked him up. He was *limp* and his head just flopped to the side. This was definitely the scariest parenting moment yet. Should I call 911? Should I shake him like people seem to do with their lifeless children in the movies (answer: no!). Figuring he might have thrown something up and choked, I flipped him over face down, with one arm between his legs and hand on his chest and patted him on the back with the other. Luckily, he came to more or less immediately, though that was more a coincidence than anything. With a huge feeling of relief, I called Evan's pediatrician and got him on the phone within 15 seconds. The Doctor was not phased much at all by the events - something I found reassuring. This was the explanation: when kids have been sick and vomiting, they can be weak enough that the blood pressure drop associated with dry heaving can cause them to faint. I had never heard of it and I suppose it makes sense but, damn, I don't want to go through that again!

New! Random Pictures

I'm going to start posting pictures from my camera phone just because that gives me a way to do real-time updates to my blog wherever I am... I have it set up that I can take a picture, send it as a picture message to blogger, and automatically publish it to my blog. That means the pictures will be just a few minutes old when they are posted... The quality won't be great but that's the tradeoff. What do you think?

At the park

Dinner

From my camera phone

He's Regressing

Don't be alarmed; I'm confident Evan is not regressing. However, for two days last week, Evan really wanted me to hold him like a baby and have his night time milk (sippy cup) held by me like a bottle. He even said "Baby" to make the point. It's been a while since I fed him milk in my lap and, well, he kind of does not fit anymore. Still it was fun to reminisce. Anyway, I read somewhere that two year olds are like rubber bands...they stretch and assert their independence but sometimes need a little TLC.

Miscellanea

I got an e-mail today from somebody who pointed out that I had not updated my blog in a month. It was good to know somebody was even checking... Unlike my friend in Denver, who is blogging multiple times a day while in LABOR (seriously!), blogging is pretty much part time for me.

No progress on the potty training, by the way. Evan is just not that interested yet.

Evan can now pedal his tricycle. So, when I walk the dog, Evan follows along in his "big wheel" (least that's what I called it when I was growing up). It's great to look back and see him following along. I want to buy him a nicer tricycle when I get a chance.

We were looking at pictures from my trip to Vietnam the other night. Evan sat in my lap, watching intently. When we got to the picture of me all dressed up for the "G&R" (Giving and Receiving) Ceremony - when Evan was to become mine under Vietnamese Law, Evan said "Da Da" in the most knowing way, turned around, and gave me a big hug. It was as if he knew the significance of that particular picture.

Last weekend was a busy one. Saturday afternoon, Evan and I visited the Vietnamese facilitator from my agency and his wife. They live about an hour away and only the facilitator had met Evan before - 15 months ago in Hanoi. It was fun to introduce/reintroduce Evan and reestablish a connection to these kind people who have dedicated so much energy to helping Vietnamese orphans find homes. I think Evan made a good impression. Here are pictures of Evan with the facilitator...

In Vietnam:
On Saturday:

Sunday was Easter and Evan got to color eggs. My big fears of spilled bowls of dye were not realized and the only casualties were a few eggs that suffered cracks. All in all, Evan did a great job coloring the eggs and he really seemed to enjoy the project

Potty Training?

So, yesterday, an innocent comment I made evolved into a pretty funny scene.

Evan just got a train with some little people that bend at the waist (so they can fit in the cars). I was working on the computer with Evan on my lap and he put two of the people on my keyboard. One was in the bent over position. This was a teachable moment. We're working on potty training, and most parents know that a key step is putting language to the various acts. Evan and I already discuss what it means when he is bent over and grunting...

So, I remarked that the little person was going poo-poo. Evan agreed and wanted the other person to go too. Here's a picture of the two characters at that point:
Evan grunted and repeated "poo poo" several times. Figuring the game was over, I grabbed on person and straightened him up, whereupon Evan loudly said "No! MORE". This is exactly what he says when I ask him if he's done and he's not.

With this post, I can safely say I have gone over to the dark side of parenthood. To my non-parent friends, I can confidently say you are now better off deleting me from your address books.

The Trip North and 2 Years Old

I'll share a few photos of our trip to Northern California, which began the day after Evan's ear infection and lasted about 9 days. The trip was to attend a memorial for my mother, who passed away last summer, and to visit relatives in Calistoga (in the Napa Valley). The memorial, held at my Aunt's house, was very moving but made me sad that Evan only briefly knew his grandmother.

The first two pictures are a bit fuzzy around the edges...something to do with some very small grubby fingers playing with the camera lens.

Here's Evan with my sister:

Here we are at the Marin County Cheese Factory, a place used to go as a kid:

Evan turned 2 during the trip and my relatives in Calistoga made sure he was treated well. We actually re-lit the candles a few times so we could get a good shot of Evan blowing them out...

Here is Evan looking much like a farmer on an old tractor:

Finally, here is a picture of my Aunt Marlys and Uncle Brad, who were such incredible hosts, as they always are:

The Hardest Week

With Jan 27 began what has been my hardest 7 days of parenting yet. Evan started with a fever that afternoon. The next day, his fever spiked up and down and he seemed pretty unhappy - and his cough started. That night, I slept with Evan so I could monitor his fever and he coughed a few times in my mouth. The one great benefit of this was that, starting a day later, I was able to tell pretty much what Evan was going through. The week was a blur of fever, sore throat, coughing, and body aches for both of us, and Evan threw up a few times for good measure. I cannot say how hard it is to parent a sick kid when you need attention yourself.

By Thursday, things were looking better (for Evan at least) and then his fever came back with a vengeance: 104.6. I realized I did not know what emergency room to take him to should his fever go over 105. I spent the evening making emergency room plans, while Evan dozed on the sofa lethargically, hopped up on Tylenol and ibuprofen. At 9 p.m., he popped his head up, smiled, and asked for a cracker. His fever seemed to have broken.

I only realized how "off" Evan had been when I got him up on Friday morning. What a great feeling to pick up a kid with a normal temperature! I had truly forgotten what it felt like.

A trip to the doctor confirmed an ear infection (Evan's first) and so we started a course of amoxycillin.

This was definitely the worst cold I have had in 10 years. I would say it's the sickest Evan has been, but now I'm flashing back to that stomach virus a year ago. I won't take you there.

The Loss of Perfection?

A week has elapsed since the events I'm about to describe but I still want to capture my thoughts.

Last Friday, I got a call from Evan's day care provider saying Evan was inconsolably clingy and crying unless he was being held. This was contrary to his usual demeanor and I initially though he was just upset that I had been out of town the previous two days (my dad flew in and had been watching Evan). So, I offered to talk to Evan, who seemed to calm down immediately as I spoke to him. I thought nothing more and took a few long calls for work. Later, when I called daycare, it seemed that Evan was no better so I went to pick him up early.

At daycare, the staff had concluded something was wrong with Evan's left arm. He was holding it stiffly to his side and his wrist seemed tender. He also seemed unwilling or unable to lift his arm. When I gave him my car keys to hold, he held them weakly and eventually dropped them. I got Evan home after gingerly strapping him into the car seat and I left a message for the doctor. I figured it might be a sprain or torn ligament yet nobody seemed to have seen or heard any traumatic event. I laid Evan down for his nap and he held his arm stiffly to his side like a mummy as I covered him with blankets.

I had a lot of conflicted feelings while Evan napped. How had he gotten injured? Should I be mad at my dad, who took him to daycare? Should I be mad at the daycare staff? Had somebody done something careless and was now refusing to tell me? Were those perfect supple toddler ligaments and muscles now irreparably damaged? Could Evan, who always seemed to bounce back, now have some permanent damage that would plague him the rest of his life? What if he was left-handed? Could I have prevented it? Was Evan's perfect body now already starting to collect scars like I've collected from from my accidents and neglect over the years?

Luckily, the Doctor did have an appointment available and I'm glad I took it. After a long wait, the doctor listened briefly to my explanation and wanted to hear no more. I tried to explain that there was a simultaneous shoulder-wrist trauma. He did not care. He was sure it was a dislocated elbow - something he sees every day. With Evan in my lap, the good Doctor straightened Evan's arm, turned his hand over, and bent the elbow. With a small pop, Evan was cured and the Doctor was happily swiveling Evan's arm around. It was like when Jimmy Swaggert cures a cripple and they rise up from the wheel chair. Evan cried a bit but was more surprised than anybody. Evan was so happy he kept showing off all his new moves with his arm. I know Evan is going to LOVE going to the doctor for a while and he may well become one because of this.

So what actually happened? Normally dislocated elbows are caused by swinging or lifting a child by one arm (don't do this, readers!). They also happen when a stubborn two-year old refuses to budge and gets pulled by one arm. I'm not sure either of these was the cause here. I suspect it occurred as Evan writhed his way out of his car seat - something he does (well, actually, used to do) with gusto. Why he did not yelp out in pain, I do not know, but he does have a high pain threshold.

So, all's well that ends well but it really was an amazing day.

No No La La!!!

Just wanted to capture a cute moment for posterity. The dog's name is Lani, and Evan calls her "La La". Lately, the dog has been quite a vulture around the dinner table and has been getting lots of "No's". So, that's were Evan learned to say "No No La La!". He has not quite learned that this is an admonition only meant for the dog. The other day, at daycare, Kaya (Evan's girlfriend) was pulling apart the foam floor tiles. The teacher told her no, and Evan pointed at Kaya and sternly said "No No La La!!". Cracked everybody up. I guess you had to be there.

Christmas and Hopping Mad

This post is about two unrelated things, actually.

First, Christmas was great. Evan got all the gifts and he has already figured out that wrapped things are generally good. He has also figured out that clothes are not nearly as fun as toys. Aside from smashing a few ornaments, Evan behaved really well around the tree despite all the temptations.

The hopping mad part has to do with what happened last night. Evan was in a great mood after his bath but when he swiveled around to go into the living room, he missed his turn and walked right into the door jamb. It hurt a little but he was more mad than anything. He clenched his fists and hopped from one foot to another a few times before getting over it. I was so proud of how he expressed a strong emotion in an effective way.

Tonight, as I write this, Evan decided he wanted to get under the blankets and lay on the sofa to go to sleep. He's talking himself to sleep right now. I see his crib days as coming to an end.