Grandpa Stauffer

My beloved Grandpa Stauffer passed away yesterday morning, quite unexpectedly.  If you think death at his age (84 years old) can't be a complete surprise, then you didn't know him.  My grandpa was active, lively, joyful, humorous, and always singing.  He was constant, faithful, respected by so many and absolutely adored by his family.  And he will be missed, oh so greatly.  It is difficult to believe that he is no longer here.  Less than two weeks ago he was enjoying Thanksgiving surrounded by friends & family...last week he and my grandma made their annual trek to Arizona for the winter...on Sunday he was watching the Lions play football.  Now he's gone, and it just doesn't seem real to those of us he left behind.  Though his death is incredibly sad from an earthly perspective, for my grandpa it is a wonderful homecoming.  He has finally met the Savior he served faithfully for so long.  I rejoice for his sake while my heart breaks for my grandma, my mom, and the rest of our family.  As the tears run down my face, I find myself smiling as I picture him being greeted by his daughter and grandson.  We have lost a dad and grandpa, but my Aunt Sue and cousin Bradley have gained him back.  What a sweet reunion that must have been!

It is tragically ironic that the only Thanksgiving in my entire life that I did not spend with my mom’s side of the family turned out to be his last.  I wish I could have seen him once more, hugged him one last time.  I’m so thankful I got to spend some time with him & my grandma this summer, so thankful that he got to meet Evan.  Unfortunately Evan will not get to know him, but I’ll be sure to tell him all about his Great Grandpa Stauffer.  My grandpa left quite a legacy – one of strong faith, unconditional love, and lasting joy - and I am so very grateful that I was blessed with 26 years with this wonderful man as my grandfather.  

I love you, grandpa!  Thank you for the Godly example you set and the quiet strength with which you led our family.  I loved listening to you sing, and the way you made me feel so special, so loved, will forever stay with me.  I will always miss you, but I am rejoicing that you are with Jesus now.  I'll be seeing you again!  

BIG News!

Evan rolled over today!!

Okay, so maybe that's not quite earth-shattering, but it was pretty exciting.  He has been rolling from side to side for months, getting so close to rolling over completely but not quite making it all the way.  He's also been way too interested in being upright to care about rolling over recently.  Why roll over when you can sit up??  Of course, by "sit up" I mean be propped up by me (so cannot wait until he can sit on his own!).  However, when I laid him on his play mat this afternoon, he rolled to his side and then right onto his tummy like he's been doing it forever!  Bring on sitting, crawling, standing, and walking :)  

In other news, Evan turned 5 months old on Friday!

 

On the one hand, five months seems like a long time - he's getting so old!  On the other hand, it's hard to believe we've only known this precious boy for 5 months...I can't remember life without him.

What's New...

- 4 month stats (a little overdue): 27 inches long (99th percentile!) and 16lbs 5.5oz.  What a BIG boy!


- Evan has had his first taste of solid food!  He isn't so keen on rice cereal yet...or eating from a spoon for that matter...but the introduction of solid food to his diet is exciting nonetheless.  We've also bought him his first veggies (squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and peas).  Judging by how much this kid loves to eat, I have a feeling he'll be consuming solid food like a champ in no time.


- Our looong boy is quickly outgrowing his infant carrier (and is getting way too heavy to lug around in that thing!), so we have taken the plunge and ordered a convertible car seat for him.  Another reminder that he is growing so fast...

- Evan has left his infant carrier stroller in the dust and is now the proud owner of a brand new umbrella stroller!  And, boy, does he look cool in his new ride. 

Super excited...can't you tell?

- And last, but certainly not least, my favorite new development - it seems our days (weeks...months...) of sleep deprivation are over!!  Evan has been consistently sleeping 7 to 10 hours straight most nights...yay!!!  This is one trend I would really like to see continue :)




Four and a half months into life with Evan, and I feel like we are just now really getting the hang of things...I'm sure the extra sleep has something to do with that!  We still have our times of frustration, doubt, and feeling like we have no idea what we're doing, but I think most parents experience that throughout the lives of their children.  However, we are really enjoying Evan and seeing his personality develop.  Some days it is hard to keep him entertained for more than a few minutes at a time, other days he is happy as a lark just laying on his play mat.  He is fascinated by the world around him, loves his daddy, and is a cat-napper like his mom (unfortunately).  There are times when he is full of loud squeals, and other times when he quietly takes everything in.  His smiles are sweet, his open-mouthed grins light up the room, and I could listen to him laugh all day long.  I'm so excited to be able to watch this baby boy I love so much grow into the person he was created to be.