Start of the Smiling Days

Everett's First Smile

December 27, 2006

Though he has been semi-grinning for a couple of weeks, when I woke Everett up this morning (one of the first mornings he woke up without crying) he threw a couple of smiles at me. I just happened to have the camera in my hand because I thought he was looking extra cute at the time and wanted to take some pictures of him waking up. So, I caught his first "all out" smiles in digital format. (Some of them are blurry. He wouldn't smile at the camera, just me. So, I was trying to keep eye contact with him while keeping the camera pointed in his direction.)

Enjoy--I sure did!---Sheila

Everett's First Christmas

Christmas Morning

(Just Waking Up)

Everett didn't fit in any of the stockings.

But, we did manage to squeeze him into the hat . . .

Since he refused to wear it.

Mostly, he just had a good time hanging out.

Merry Christmas!

Yearly Letter--2006

Hot List of Events for the Sjolseths in 2006

● For those who voted in 2005’s “Ugly UT Sweater Competition”—Sheila won!
● Erik transitioned to a different management consulting firm, Deloitte Consulting in June. He is also working with a start-up company, enjoying the faster pace.
● In June, Sheila graduated from her educational policy fellowship at the Institute for Educational Leadership. She also transitioned to a new position at the Department of Education in Title I, a program designed to support the most disadvantaged students.
● Everett Albritton Sjolseth was born a month early on October 19, 2006. Thrilled to have him in our family, we have enjoyed every fussy, stinky, funny, and cuddly moment.
● Erik was the winner of our “Who Do I Look Like?” vote, designed to demystify the pressing issue of who Everett looks like.
● Sheila and Erik celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in December.
● We are celebrating our 3rd Christmas in a row in the same home, and we don’t plan on moving for a couple more.

And, a Bonus:
Brief Thoughts From the Sleep Deprived--
● You know you are sleep deprived when the waiter offers you a sippy cup because you have spilled several drinks during the meal.
● You know you are sleep deprived when you get in the shower fully clothed.
● You know you are sleep deprived when you keep dialing your husband’s cell phone number when trying to find your lost cell phone and don’t ever realize it.

Everett at 2 Months

Two Month Check-Up Stats:

Weight--13 pounds and 9 ounces . . . in the 90th percentile

Height--22 inches . . . in the 25th percentile

(he's got a lot to grow if he's going to be as tall as his parents)

Head--in the 75th percentile

The nurse couldn't believe the head check because at the one month check he was in the 15th percentile. Small headed no longer.

(Just laying around.)

First Sunday at Church

If You Look Close, You Can See Me Grabbing Dad's Tie

First Family Photo

Yeah, I still sleep-sometimes less, sometimes more.

Mom and I have the same hair.

Sooo Cute!

The Mighty Ten (Years of Marriage)

Picture taken at the Deloitte Christmas Party

We recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. As we took stock of where we had been over the past 10 years as a couple and what we wanted to do for the next, we jotted down a few notes:

17 moves (we burned the boxes after the last one)
6 countries
4 cars (yes, we counted the "heaps" because they hold a special place in our hearts)
4 US states
3 college graduations
2 bouts with unemployment

Well, we got that far and were too tired to think anymore. We know that we have enjoyed the past 10 years and look forward to the next.

Fire, Friends, and Food--Everett's First Party

The Invite

Hey Everyone: I've finally arrived to Earth,
(Mom says it was an early birth).
I want to invite you to come meet me at my crib,
I promise to don clean diapers and a fresh bib.
You won't want to miss a chance to guess who I look like.

For a preview, check out the website.

Meet the Baby Party

Report by: Everett (7 weeks old)

Saturday, December 9th, was my "Meet the Baby" Party. The occasion began with a bang . . . or firey roar when the floo to the chimney slipped shut after Dad built a kick'n fire resulting in smoke and flames shooting out of the fireplace.

Mom was amazed at the speed with which Dad flew through the house moving to put the fire out. I heard her say, "That was the fastest I have ever seen you move." (I think she is going to remember that the next time we are late to church.) Don't worry: No one was harmed and there was no property damage (though the fireplace looked antiqued in the end). Dad wasn't a forest fire fighter for nothing.

----One party goer reported that the ashy-smokey smell that lingered long afterward was a good way to "add a little holiday charm." She was really nice to say that.

Aunties Kate, Lala, and Jen were key in arranging food for the party, and everyone filled up on all the grub that friends brought.

I got to meet lots of Mom and Dad's friends, and several very pretty ladies were nice enough to hold me while I snoozed. (This is Auntie Jen.)

There was lots of action at the "Who Do I Look Like Voting Booth" (see picture below). Dad was actively trying to get the votes though he wasn't allowed to tell people which pictures were his.

Dad did win the vote (he was Baby B) . . . I must add that there is rumor that since Mom's second baby picture was printed upside down (and much smaller than Dad's second picture) some voters might have thrown their vote to Baby B because they could see the baby better. Mom thinks that I also look like Dad. So, there won't be a revote.

In the end, I had a great time. Met lots of friends, and ended up snoozing again after several hours of partying and looking cute.

**Click on the announcement for a closer view

Dad Doing Double Duty

The Many Faces of Everett

We are enthralled with the many, many faces that Everett makes. He is so animated! We have posted the faces that people find most amusing.

"Ooooooooooo"

(11 days old and still growing to fit his clothes)

GIGGLE--6 days old

The Famous Yawn

Couldn't Miss a Chance to Catch the "Disappearing Finger" Shot

Don't You Wish You Looked This Good!

Oh, Yeah!

You Can't See Me

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Everett Pictures-12 Days Old

My First Halloween Costume and then the Close-Ups

Who Does Everett Look Like?--Results Are In

Ahh, Everett has given us a run for the money in being able to pinpoint hair color and other important features that give us an indication of who he looks like, Erik or Sheila.

Take a look for yourself. We have stripped the names to avoid undue favoritism. Thus, you have the choice between Baby A and Baby B to see who Everett favors the most.

See below for results.

Baby A

Baby B

Everett (Pictures at 5 days old)

After tallying internet and in person votes (see Everett's First Party post), the result was that he looks like Baby B--Erik.

Baby S Has Arrived!

Well, we missed the opportunity to have the 300 millionth American in the family. Shucks!

We did, however, have a bouncing baby boy, Everett Albritton Sjolseth! (Cue bells, whistles, fanfare)















October 19, 2006
(A month early)
7 pounds and 2 ounces
20 inches long
(If he had been a full-term baby, Sheila would have given birth to a toddler.)

Deliverance From Bed Rest:
On Wednesday, October 18th, Sheila was at her OB appointment negotiating with her doctor on when she could stop the contraction delay medication. She was being taken off of bed rest that morning and wanted at least another week on the medication to allow 1) Baby S more time to develop and 2) time to move out of the basement and get ready for the baby's arrival.

Well, despite Sheila's award winning (or whining) performance, the doctor said that the baby was already pretty big (Sheila was asked by everyone she passed that day if she was "supposed to pop soon") and that if the baby delayed delivery, fine, but we aren't going to do anything else to delay delivery. The doctor said that she looked great and might see her to deliver in the next week. (Sheila was 2-3 cm and 70% effaced--for those of you that care.)

What does a native Texan do once taken off bed rest that lasted 2 months? Find the most decent Tex-Mex around. Here in Reston, VA it is On the Border. After a great lunch of fajitas, Erik and Sheila set off to pick up a present at the mall. After 15 minutes in the mall, Sheila heard a *pop* and knew that the baby's birth was in motion.

Transition to the Birth Story:
"Erik, we need to go now." Sheila calmly told Erik as they left the store.
"Why, what is wrong?" Erik exclaimed.
"I think my water just broke." After 2 hours off bed rest, Baby S was on his way . . . no turning back now.

Erik took off at a very quick pace just short of running to bring the car to the front of the mall (BTW, Sheila had walked less than 50 yards since being taken off bed rest). As Erik brought the car to the door, he opened the passenger side door from the inside with the boldness of a Batman-style technique as the car came to a halt. And what did Sheila see?

Erik had laid out 4 Wall Street Journal newspapers on the seat of the car. Erik wasn't taking any chances with anything getting anywhere it wasn't supposed to be.

Here He Is:
After a quick stop home to get the hospital bags (which were mostly packed) and a fast check at the doctor's office to make sure Sheila's water had indeed broken, Sheila and Erik arrived at the hospital shortly after 1:00 in the afternoon with contractions mightily present. It was then that they realized that their baby could share the same birthday as a good friend (the one they picked up the present for). So, tongue-in-cheek, the race was on to have the baby by midnight of October 18th.

But, as in all things with this particular pregnancy/baby, Baby S--Everett Albritton Sjolseth, came into this world at 12:42 in the morning on the 19th. Sheila never thought that 12 hours could go by so slowly yet so quickly. Labor was a short 30 minute session of pushing, and all those betting it would be a boy--won!

Everett was shrieking as he was delivered and then assessed by the neonatologist and his staff. (Everett was 35 weeks and 5 or 6 days depending on how you count.) One of the things Sheila remembers when she first visited Everett on the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) was being able to immediately know which baby was Everett--something about connecting to his cry.

Sheila and Erik got to hold Everett and inspect him for about a minute before Everett was whisked off for treatment for immature lung disease. Everett was breathing really hard--grunting to get enough oxygen.

Sheila is sure that it is only after saying something motherly or profound that she said the following, "Dude, you have no eyebrows." And, sure enough, no one could see the very, very light blonde eyebrows in the delivery room.

Erik was a great labor coach and handled the blood phobic thing flawlessly. He was such a great champion for Sheila then and continued to be Everett's biggest fan in the following week of hospitalization.

Everett's Arrival Follow-Up:
After being on oxygen for several days and a 48 hour period of sunning in the bili lights (for jaundice), Everett came home on the following Tuesday. Despite many follow-up visits to the hospital, Everett is doing well!





He and Erik seem to have some kind of understanding already, and Sheila is slowly realizing that she is in a household of boys (reminder--Sheila is the eldest of four girls). All of the DC Sjolseths are hanging in there and acclimating to one another.



Welcome, Everett!