stripes, hives, and trees.

Someone needed a slightly belated 9-month and Christmas card photo shoot... He was quite patient (for a few minutes), and a lovely few-years-ago Christmas present from my darling sister made the perfect holiday backdrop, eh, sisser?? So here is the cute boy in stripes.

He is so his dad's mini-me.
... but then he makes faces like these and I am happy to know that I had SOME genetic contribution to the making of this baby that I carried. He would like that hood off, please. Now.

... and yes. This is proof that he decides to poop whenever I want to take his picture. Camera as laxative-- who knew?!

Saturday, I made the boy a hearty breakfast of blueberries, bananas, and oatmeal. As per usual, Ev inhaled everything and then some added Cheerios. After his morning nap, the small one woke up with the whole left side of his body covered in hives. He didn't seem to notice, but take a wild guess who went into a state of panic and forced the family to drive over to urgent care? Yes, that would be me. Apparently, he is allergic to blueberries at the current time. Also apparently, his hives disappear within an hour of waking up.... go figure. He was almost hive-free by the time we got back to see the doctor. So after the urgent care incident, we bundled up the boy and took him to get a tree. He looks happy and not so hivey, eh?

... but then this was the Ev after his afternoon nap. I know it's blurry, but you get the idea-- and this isn't even his bad side. Poor little boo. Somehow, they don't itch him at all. I could not be more relieved or thankful about that fact. According to our pediatrician, the histamines can just take up to a week to fully pass his system, so I guess until they do-- he's going to wake up from every sleep with hives.

... but Ev says, hives, me?!?!

Seriously. Ah, Ev-ster. We love you.

Next post will involve some Christmas decor. Ev is slightly obsessed with the tree, and would like to stand next to it and touch it most of the day. I love it, I do. I'd contemplated not putting up many decorations with the small one and the furry one needing room to play and go go go-- but I am so glad that we did. Well, right now. Until something comes toppling down. Hee.

xoxoxoxooxox.

if you give a max a cookie...

Hi darlings...

Just passing through. Needing-- badly-- to get the house Christmased (one of my favorite Jack terms of all time). Anyone have a spare gaggle of decorating elves to come help me? Please? Mama needs a little Christmas, right this very minute. Not sure how the small Christmas monkey is going to feel about decorations.

That's a lie.... I know he's going to love them and want to touch them and hold them and shake them and pull them down. Between him and the furry one... it will be an interesting holiday, yes???

Hey, look, it's Maxxy. Just proof that he still exists, and is loved-- evidenced by his new holiday collar. I think green is his color. I always say it's red, but look how dashing the furry one is in green. Max made taking the Christmas picture very interesting this year. I would recommend not giving the dog a treat prior to trying to take a picture... especially not the Max, who likes to hoarde them, and decided that it would be a great idea to eat it in the midst of us trying to get a decent shot. I'm not sure we ever did, and I'm tempted to use this as our card? Yay?

That happy dog tongue just cracks me up. If Ev was facing the camera, I do think this would be the shot. Heh. Happy Friday, all. Oh-- and don't forget to go tell my poor sisser how sorry you are that it took her 3 days and her car breaking to get home and check out all of her pics of Ev as I took... none.

xoxoxoxoxo.