Kiddo

Hello Kiddo!
Well you have now officially experienced your 1st thanksgiving! How was it! I am sure it was full of eating, sleeping, and complaining like the rest of us. It was sure sad not getting to spend it with and your mom and dad, but you were in our thoughts. I hope Christmas isn't the same. I imagine your grama told you that thanksgiving is a tradition that we hold sacred in our family. Grama always cooks yummy food that someday you will get to experience and believe it or not you will crave it more than milk. Unbelievable I know! It sounds like you are pooping and peeing out of control during your pre potty training. Your mom and dad are having trouble, but your aunt Jill finds it hilarious to hear. We are back to school and it sucks because we have had so much time off, but Christmas will be here soon. Speaking of Christmas did you know that we discovered you were on your way last Christmas. Yeah you may have heard this, but it reminded me of it because your grama and I were putting up decorations and stumbled across a stocking. This stocking was hung with the others during christmas morning, but it didn't belong to anyone and it had a question mark on it. After opening gifts we decided it was time to reveal this secret stocking and inside was a pregnancy test your mom had taken that showed your were on your way to this world. Cool Huh! It will be exciting to open presents and our stockings knowing you are with us. So Merry Christmas Little EJ. Hope to see you soon. Aunt Jill

Thanksgiving 2005

Hello Eve,
I wanted to wish you a very happy 1st Thanksgiving! This is a very special holiday in our family. We love getting together with each other and all of our friends talking and laughing and reminiscing. It is always a fun time! I know you and your parents can't be in Kansas this year but we are setting a place at the table for you and will include you in our prayers and thankful list. Right now I am waiting for a pumpkin pie to finish baking. The good smells are filling the house. Your family has alot of different traditions. We usually have wildlife of some kind on this day along with turkey. This year is no different because your great grandfather is bringing 3 wild ducks for me to cook. I don't know if you would like duck but I grew up eating the meat that my dad hunted and it is one of my favorite meals. Your aunts Jillie and E are here and everyone is happy and healthy. We all find ourselves saying how much we wish you were here. Not to worry though, there will be plenty of Thanksgivings that we can celebrate together.
Your Momma is so excited about her new furniture! I can't wait to sit on it! Be careful when you are on the new furniture (don't let anything slip out when your diaper is off!) Your dad will be falling asleep holding you in his new chair!
I hear you are now grunting and growling like a bear! Did you know that your Momma used to collect bears? I still have alot of them here in Kansas! Just keep trying new things! I love getting those phone calls when you momma tells me the new things you do!
Have a great day with your parents and your new friend. I know you won't be able to , but, try not to show him up too much!
I love you so!
GramaSortore

fun in the fall

We had so much fun today. Your dad and I took you to the National Arboretum to take some pictures. You fell asleep on the way there, but we woke you up and kept you up for about an hour and a half. You were cranky by the end of photo shoot, but you slept for a long time once we were done. We got so many great pictures. I immediately sent the pictures to the family to see and talked to them while they opened their emails. We ooohed and aaahed over how cute you were. We had interviewed someone to watch you while I went back to work and decided she was suitable, but turns out she can't now and no one else on base has any openings. That made my decision a little easier to stay home with you if I can't find any childcare. I can always take in a child to watch in our house for some extra money. That way you can have a friend as well as your ma taking care of you. We did get you a new walker. Even though it is for 6+ month children, you do just fine in it. Of course you can't touch the ground with your feet, so have to put a box under your feet. You stand in it though and play with the steering wheel already and love to watch dad and I play with the toys. You also really like your rattle. When it's in your hand you fling your arms in every direction to keep it rattling. You've also found your feet finally and like to keep your feet straight up in the air and grab your toes. I can't imagine that you will ever get them in your mouth because you have no flexiblity just like your dad and I. You also refuse to lay your head down whether you are being held or laying down you don't want your head to rest on anything. You still scream every time the vacuum cleaner is turned on. I guess I'll get off here, even though I could talk about you all day. Love you baby.

News from Kansas

Hello Evie!
Just wanted you to know how often I think of you and how I want to see and hold you again! You are growing up so fast and I love to hear all the new things you are doing! Your Momma tells me how spoiled you are but I know that isn't true! You just want to be part of the action ALL the time!
I just printed off some new pictures of you to send to your great Aunt Jenny in Tennessee! Grama is getting the hang of printing and saving your pictures in an actual folder (not just on the desktop of her computer!)
I am waiting to hear that you are crawling. I'm sure it will be sometime in the next month! Just in time for your first Christmas! I am trying to plan my next visit to see you. It will definitely be in late March if not before. Who knows--maybe me and your Aunts E and Jilllie will forego Christmas and try to come and see you!!! I just want you to know that no matter if we all are apart or together that we are a very loving family and we will always be a part of your life. You Momma has mentioned that maybe I should just move in with you and that way everything will be easier - I could watch you while Momma works and that way we could become even better friends! I told her not to joke about such things because I could move out to D.C. in a heartbeat! Maybe all of us could! Wouldn't that be fun? Aunt Jillie could work in one of the great art museums and Uncle Noah could become the U.S. Mint"s graphic artist for the new money they print, and Aunt E could be the new dietitian for the Washington Redskins (the pro football team that her boyfriend Dustin will be playing on catching passes!) How does that sound to you? Probably kind of scary!!! This is a good dream though!
I want you to know that you have changed my life in many ways! I traded in my yellow jeep and got a 4 door car!!! During your visit, I couldn't stand the problems your Momma and I had trying to take you places! Now, I can drive out to see you!! The care is awesome and even your Aunt E approves! She said it doesnt' look like an old lady's or a grama's car! I don't care if it does though because I am proud to call you my Granddaughter!
That is all the news from Kansas! Tell Momma to keep taking pictures and not to forget a video clip of you either! Love always, GramaSortore

Growing up fast

I just wanted everyone to know how fast I'm growing up. Mom put me on the scale today and I weighed 16 1/2 pounds. Other than that, I want to tell you a few things about myself. I am now able to hold my head up and that means that laying down is not fun anymore. Sure the mobiles are fun for about 10 minutes, but then it's time for mom to hold me in the sitting position so I can just look around for as long as I feel like. If I don't feel like sitting down, then I will totally stiffen my legs and stand and look around. I wake up every day at 5 o'clock and am up for good around 7. Morning is my favorite time and as soon as I wake up, my favorite thing to see is mom's face and I am all smiles until she makes me lay down in front of my window. It used to be my favorite spot, that is until I noticed how cool everything else looks while I'm sitting up. Notice the trend here with all the I's. That is because I am so independent and I look forward to the time when mom doesn't have to hold me and I can sit on my own and do what I want to do. Dad is still the best at putting me to sleep. All he has to do is hold me and I will fall asleep. I also met my first friend yesterday. His name is Cayden and he is a week younger than I. I tried to show off by talking a lot and I think we will have a lot of fun together. Love all you guys.