Everly 7 Months + Christmas Musings

 

Let's begin the new year with this cute face. This is Everly Claire at seven months old. Since she turned seven months on January 1st, it's fitting to begin this new post with her.

At this time, Everly is a little lady with fierce determination and a smile that will melt your heart! She started rolling from back to belly on November 8, 2013, while our family stayed in a hotel near Bryce Canyon in Utah. A few short days later, she learned to roll from belly to back. Since then, she's been gaining strength in her back to sit up, though she still tends to lose balance occasionally and bonks her head on the carpet when we're not paying attention.

We just spent two weeks (basically) with family visiting from Utah, Arizona, and Oregon, so both Clarke and Everly were spoiled with attention! I'm pretty sure Everly misses it. I am hardly out of her sight when she begins to cry. She's also probably sensitive because her teeth are coming out. Right now she's at two, and I'm sure within the next month she'll get one or two more.

On Christmas Break
Franco, Clarke, Everly and I spent a leisurely Christmas Eve and Christmas here in Guadalupe, Ca last year. We decided not to travel on those days for a few reasons. One, we felt the need to begin our own family traditions in our own home, as the last seven years were always spent with family in their homes. Two, we knew we were going to travel to Camarillo for New Year's, so it didn't make sense to make two trips in two weeks. Three, we refrained from participating in gift exchanges this year, including Christmas, in order to refocus on Christ during the holidays and share experiences, rather than things, with friends and family. I'll write a post about that a little later. Our Christmas at home was low key but special. We also got to video call with Elder Mosiah Castrejon that morning. We used Google Hangouts on the iPad and conferenced in the Porters and Elder Castrejon in Montreal. What a treat! Mosiah shared some key experiences and he marvelled at how much the girls and Clarke had changed. He also got to meet Everly for the first time.

Everly contracted her first illness the day before Christmas Eve. We were in Santa Barbara spending time with the Castrejons when her fever started. It wouldn't subside but with the holidays we couldn't take her to the doctor. I am afraid her first Christmas was pretty miserable. Finally on Friday the 26th I was able to take her to see the doctor here in Guadalupe who diagnosed a throat infection and prescribed antibiotics. Little by little she recovered both her health and her strength, and thankfully by New Year's she was back to her normal cheery self.