Really, anyone who still reads this blog needs to get on Facebook. Cause I just don't have the time to update anymore. That being said, I feel guilty that when Lauren was a baby everyone got the play-by-play, but nobody gets to hear squat about Evan. So, let's see what's happened in the last 2 months. I don't even know where to start.

Evan: 2 teeth, 2 more on the way, crawling (more like "the worm," but I still think it counts), definitely sleeping through the night (thanks to nighttime diapers), eating lots and lots of baby food, fits nicely into 12 month clothes. At 6 months old. Loves his walker, so over his saucer. The saucer and the swing went by the side of the road yesterday, and someone picked them up within 1/2 hour. He's still a spit machine, but it's getting better and I've figured out several tricks to minimize the spitting. Probably one of the cutest babies I've ever seen, but thanks to Murphy's Law of Child Photography, it's impossible to get a good picture of the kid.

Lauren: POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I'm safe saying that since she finally pooped in the potty tonight and learned it wasn't scary. She's even been dry overnight a couple times. That's not consistent, so she still wears a pull-up to sleep, but it's been a joy not changing her diapers. She's moved up to the "Big Birds" class at school and thinks that's pretty cool. And her birthday is this weekend.

Chris: Entered is mid-30s this weekend with a golf outing at Longaberger Golf Course, the top-rated public course in Ohio. Took Lauren to visit the Bileks in Minnesota for about a week.

Deena: Completed my first Master's in Marketing class, and did such a good job my team and I got invited to present to the Chief Marketing Officer and everyone who reports to him. I have some other things in the works as well, but we'll keep that under wraps for now. Got rid of my car and took over my mom's old one when she bought a sweet new car. This way we'll be able to avoid a car payment for another few years.

So, this has still been a pitiful update with no links or pictures. But, Evan has his 6 month appointment on Wednesday and Lauren's birthday festivities, complete with Grandma and Grandpa B, will be taking place over the weekend, so in theory I should have a better post in the near future. Don't hold your breath, though. Sign up for Facebook. Seriously.

Okay, over a month since a post. If you haven't already, sign up on Facebook and be my friend. It's much easier to post a quick snippet every other day than to compose an eloquent (hah!) post on here.

Anyways, life at the Bilek household is moving along pretty nicely. Lots of news on the Evan front:
--We're into a really nice 4 hour schedule, which means sleep from around 8:30pm until 7am, with a brief interruption for feeding at 11pm still. Gotta get that one cut out. Still, I think that's pretty good for a 4 month old!
--Just started a little baby food last week. I know they say to wait until 6 months, but he's the size of a 6 month old now (over 20 lbs.). So far he's tried rice cereal, sweet potatoes, peas and bananas. He loves it all, or at least the novelty of getting to eat like the big people. Oh, and he's completely off the boob now. Woo hoo!
--We'll be switching to the convertible car seat this week. I think the weight limit on the infant seat is 25 lbs anyways, plus Evan hates that thing. He can almost sit up completely unsupported now, so I think it's time for it to go. Hallelujah!
--Evan loves playing in the saucer! He's never really been one for laying down, and now that he has something he can stand up in, he's in heaven.
--Did I mention he's a big boy? He's wearing size 9 month clothes, and an unofficial weighing has him somewhere around 20 lbs. My co-worker's 2 year old weighs 27 lbs. Guess we just breed big babies.

Lauren is still Lauren...curious, happy, and funny. Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds, and we laugh just about everyday at something that comes out of her mouth. She loves that the weather is nice so we can take walks to the park or go swimming. Her knees are pretty much permanently skinned, but I guess that comes with the territory. Still no progress on the potty training, though. She did go in the potty a couple of times last week, but I think that was just a fluke. Every mention of it since then makes her scream and cry. Someday, she'll stop wearing diapers. Hopefully.

Our house just underwent an extreme makeover. Well, not really extreme in the classic sense, but it does look different. Chris' mom and sister came down to repaint our entire first floor. After much deliberation over color, we landed on a nice, neutral color palette that still provides some definition to the various "rooms" in our open floor plan. Chris and I never would have gotten it done, and it came down to the wire with the three of them doing it, but in the end it's definitely worth it!

So, that's it in a nutshell. No, no pictures to add yet. Who has time to take pictures?

What a week...

And not necessarily in a good way. The great potty training adventure officially began, and also ended nearly as quickly. Lauren's obviously old enough to do it at 2.5 years old, but she just isn't interested at all. No really, she ran away from us when we put on the big girl undies. After two days of screaming and fits when she had to sit on the potty, and lots of messes for Chris to clean up, we decided to give up for now and try again in another month or so. Everything I've read and everyone I've talked to says you can't do it unless they want to, and she DEFINITELY doesn't want to. We were all really happy when it was time for her to go to school this morning...Lauren included.

In happier news, we eliminated Evan's 11:30pm feeding last night, and he still slept till his normal time! Woo hoo! Chris is ecstatic because now he doesn't have to stay up late to feed him, and I'm happy because we're moving a little closer toward total bottle-feeding. Breastfeeding is great for lots of reasons, but it's so hard to keep it up after I go back to work. I'm also going to Dallas for a weekend at the end of June, and I don't want to pump while I'm there, so we need to start getting him off the boob.

The little man has also discovered how to work his hands, so now he's grabbing toys and fingers and necklaces and pretty much anything that comes in range of his grasp. The boy's also strong...he can support his weight on his legs with hardly any help from us. I have a feeling he's going to be an early walker.


Tavis Smiley stopped by Nationwide yesterday. Nationwide sponsors the On Your Side Tour with Tavis to promote financial literacy and wealth planning. He was a great speaker, and I got a free copy of his new book, Accountable. The concept behind the book is great: our elected leaders (especially Obama), make lots of promises on the campaign trail, and it's our duty as citizens to help make them great leaders by holding them accountable for the promises they make. The book has a chapter for each of 10 major issues, and at the end of each one there's a checklist for you to keep track of what the president, congress, state government, local government, and you are doing to further progress in that space. Gotta add this one to my stack of books...

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Random thoughts

Just some things running through my head this week...

--Why don't we own more than one umbrella? And why isn't one of those non-existent umbrellas in my car? I got drenched walking into work this morning. Nothing like starting the day looking like a drowned rat. And why does it always rain on days when Chris is home with the kids?

--American Idol--yea, Kris Allen is in the final! Although Adam Lambert will likely win, his performances have gotten a little over the top. I told Chris his rendition of Aerosmith's "Cryin'" reminded me of what Aerosmith would sound like if they turned their music into a Broadway musical, a la "Mamma Mia!" One more week, then on to So You Think You Can Dance. I love my trashy reality TV.


--Bought a couple of new books. Not sure what I was thinking since I don't really have time to read. One inspired by an interview on Fresh Air on NPR (Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman) and the other because I really want to understand more about cooking so I can do more than just follow a recipe (I'm Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown). Both look promising already.

--I'm getting really sick of all the Twitter talk. Twitter isn't new. It's been around for awhile. All of a sudden it's all you hear about on the news and talk shows. Wonder what the next "new" thing will be. That being said, I'm not on Twitter, but I am on Facebook. It helped keep me sane and connected when I was home on maternity leave. It's also helped me reconnect with a lot of college friends I had lost touch with. I wouldn't say it's a substitute for real human interaction and personal relationships, but it's the next best thing.

--We're starting to contemplate what we might need to do to possibly get the house ready to put on the market. I sound pretty confident in that, don't I? We're definitely outgrowing our house, but the thought of going through the home selling/buying process scares the bejesus out of me. In any case, it can't hurt to take care of a few little things, even if we don't end up selling.

--Back to work four days a week starting this week. This morning was rough getting up, even though I slept almost 8 hours. I think it's just a matter of getting used to a working mom routine, instead of a stay-at-home mom routine. It's crazy how fast the days go when I work. I get home with Evan around 5pm, then it's on to dinner, bath, and bed. I'll get used to that eventually.

--Looking forward to spending some time with family over the next month. And a trip to Dallas for a weekend at the end of June for sorority stuff. Hard to believe June is already here.

Over and out...

Happy Mother's Day!

Just to get it out of the way, happy mother's day to all you mamas out there. Thanks for all you do for us! Alright, now on to an overdue update.

I'm honestly not sure where the time goes these days. Lauren has been in daycare for over a month now, and absolutely loves going to school. We're also into the swing of all the school activities...attended a chicken noodle fundraiser and muffins with mom breakfast. Lauren also went on her first field trip to the zoo. She's adjusted really well, and even naps there now on a pretty regular basis. By the time the weekend hits, she sleeps in a little, until almost 8. We really like that. Grandma Darke is going through some withdrawal, but at least she has the little man to cuddle with 3 days a week.


I've been back at work for 2 weeks, and it's really great to be back. Being out allowed me to get out of some of the work I really didn't need to be doing, so I'm starting with a clean slate. Evan also started sleeping until around 5:30 on a regular basis, so I'm going back to work 4 days a week instead of 3 starting this week.

The little guy had his 2 month check-up, and his first round of shots...5 shots and 1 oral vaccine. He did great, and he really is a big boy. He's in the 95th percentile for height (24.5"), and off the charts for weight (14 lbs. 12 oz.). No wonder his 0-3 month clothes don't fit him anymore. He loves interacting with anyone, and is gaining coordination in his hands and arms. We can also prop him up in the corner of the couch now, so hopefully he'll be sitting up on his own before too long. He's also reaaalllly close to rolling over...he almost rolled off of the examining table at the doctor's office!

Spring has officially arrived, so we're working on getting the yard back in shape. The squirrels really do a number on the grass. I may even get some flowers planted this weekend. Chris is happy because he can get out to golf on a regular basis without having to bundle up.

We're also gearing up for the latest visit by Grandma and Grandpa Bilek. This one mixes business with pleasure, since Grandma is in the Columbus Arts Festival. She did great last year, so hopefully this year will be just as successful. Come on out and check out her beautiful pottery June 5-8 near the CCAD campus. She'll be under the "A" of the big "ART" sculpture.

Time for the next big change in our lives: Lauren starts daycare on Monday. We've been fortunate enough to have Grandma Darke in town to provide excellent, affordable care for Lauren since she was born. Now Lauren's getting to the age where she needs to be around other kids so she's not completely socially inept when she goes to real school. Plus, now Grandma Darke gets to look after Evan. And I'm not going to make her try to watch both of them...they're definitely a handful, and besides, she already did this once with her own kids.

So, it's off to Play and Learn Christian Child Care at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church. It's less than a mile from the house, and they had a part-time opening that coincided perfectly with my return to work. Everyone seems really nice and it's actually fairly affordable. I've been a little bit leery about sending Lauren to a relgiously-affiliated daycare, but there really aren't a whole lot of other options out there. It doesn't seem like they'll be pushing religion down her throat.

So, my baby, now the resident "big girl," is off to school. I have to admit I'm worried sick about how she'll do. Much more worried than I am about how Evan will do once I go back to work. Will she play okay with other kids? Does she measure up to them developmentally? We've been in our own little bubble with her until now. Hopefully we haven't done anything that will make her stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the kids. We'll just have to wait and see.

Evan is plugging along. We've gone the last couple of nights without a 2:30am feeding, so hopefully he'll sleep through the night before too long. Right now he'll sleep from about 11 to 2:30, then from about 3 to 5:30, and again from 6 to 8:30. Not bad, but I'd love to get him to sleep from 11 to 5:30. I'm trying to keep myself from falling into the bad habit of sleeping with him on the futon in his room. Some nights it's been the only way to get him to sleep (which means I get to sleep), but I don't want to end up like one of those moms on Nanny 911 that's still sleeping with their kids when they're 4 years old.

The baby acne is still around, all over his face, scalp, and now his shoulders and chest. The pediatrician confirmed there's nothing I can do, and did say it will be at its worst when he's around 6 weeks old (next week). I just hope it goes away soon so I can have cute pics without pimples in them. The smiles have also arrived, especially when he sees me first thing in the morning. It's a great way to start the day.

We're looking forward to visits from Chris' sister Brea, my sister Dorie, and our niece Ryan this weekend. We'll be doing the traditional Easter barbecue to welcome them all on Sunday. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy 1-month Birthday!

Wow. I can't believe it's already been a month since Mr. Evan joined the Bilek clan. In some ways it feels like it was just yesterday we brought him home, but in others it feels like he's been here all along. Here are some things I've learned in the last month:

--Boys can pee really high in the air. Always keep the "hose" covered with something during a diaper change. Even this won't protect you, but you'll just be damp instead of soaking wet.

--It's possible to breastfeed your baby and play with your toddler at the same time. Awkward, yes, but possible.

--Newborns are much easier to take out in public than 2 year olds. Why we didn't realize this with Lauren, I'm not sure.

--I hate baby acne. It looks like it hurts, and there isn't really anything I can do about it.

--I bought about 400 diapers on sale about a week after Evan was born. They're almost gone, thanks in part to diaper changing sessions that go through 3 diapers. See item #1.

--Size 6 diapers (which Lauren wears) look like adult Depends next to Evan's size 1-2 diapers.

--Babies grow really fast. Evan's already outgrowing 0-3 month clothes.

--Baby toys become really interesting to a 2 year-old when she realizes someone else might play with them.


--I actually miss going to work. It's my one break from family life, and pretty much my only interaction with other adults.

--A long, hot shower will do wonders for your mood.

--Friends and family make life much easier. It really does take a village to raise a child.