So Long Curly Locks!

I was born with a TON of hair. Seriously, ask my mom. I think it's one of her favorite stories to tell, "You came out and you had hair everywhere!" Will, on the other hand, barely had any hair at all. And when it did grow, it was so blond that it looked like he was still a little baldy.

And then there's Everett. Born with a fair amount and over the past year it's grown a tad. At least to the casual observer. To Observer Numero Uno (that would be yours truly), his hair has been great except for the back. In the very back, just above the nape of his neck, he had this thick mass of curls that, I'll be honest, I HATED! To me it was like he had this perfect little head, with hair that basically laid flat, and then there were these inexplicable curls. Other folks, especially women, always commented on his "cute" curls and cautioned me to wait as long as possible to cut them, otherwise they might not grow back (I could only wish!).

Thankfully, we have a skilled hair stylist in the family and Grandmama Lynn was only too happy to give Everett his very first haircut.

Will wet Everett's hair and Lynn got out the scissors.

But Everett decided sitting still was not on the agenda.

Uh, yup, still moving...

Ok, this is what I'm talking about!

Check out this picture closely and you'll see the long patch of hair right there in the back.

Still moving...

Really not happy with Dad for trying to make him stay still.

But even with a fussy, fidgety client, Lynn came through and Everett's hair is flat all over.

Everett says, "Thanks Grandmama Lynn for making me look respectable!"

Like Father, Like Son

There seems to be an ongoing debate about who Everett looks like. Some say Will, others say me, and still others say he's a great mix of the both of us. I think he has my eyes, but other than that, he's Will all over. See what you think:

My pal, Heidi made a good point in that Everett looks like me in pictures, but like Will in person. Anyone know how one 12 month old can manage that?!?!

A Second Helping of Sommer

We in the Giddens Family were beyond thrilled on Friday when a blast from my BYU and CNN pasts dropped in for a little visit. Miss Sommer is without a doubt one of the nicest, friendliest, funniest and of course, cutest gals I know. She's awesome and I was so glad she and Everett were finally able to meet. Everett loved her, naturally and Will and I are lucky Sommer didn't succeed in packing him away in her suitcase!

Sommer was in town for a wedding, which is why she is looking oh-so-snazzy. Thanks Sommer for being totally awesome!! And remember, our couch is always open for you. See ya in AZ - hopefully soon!

Everett couldn't take his eyes off of Sommer.

He had a perma-grin the entire time she was here.

Except when it came to eating. Then he was all business.

(And no, we're not really feeding him a spoon)

Memories, like the corner of my mind...

Mom and Dad Are Cool Too!!

Shocking as though it may be, Will and I actually like to get out sans Everett. I'm really grateful that Will makes it a point that we have date night once a week. Sometimes date night consists of us getting a babysitter and going out, and other times we have movie night or game night at our place.

Well, last week was SUPER cool because date night was The Fray concert! If you aren't familiar with The Fray, please do yourself a favor and start listening to their music. I think they're awesome and they have a couple of songs that are getting pretty solid radio play these days. And their song, "How to Save a Life" is on the Grey's Anatomy promos, if you're in to that TV show.

Anyway, they were playing at The Tabernacle, which is a way more intimate venue that say, a stadium or arena. We were on the floor, dead center and it was seriously one of the most fun things I have done in quite awhile. The concert ROCKED!! I felt young and carefree, if only for an hour or so. Here are some pictures of the night.

(Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't give serious thanks to the coolest brother-in-law in the world for scoring us tickets and my parents for providing free baby-sitting. Muchas gracias!!!)

Before going inside. Can you tell I'm excited?

They were singing "Over my Head (Cable Car)", which is probably their most well-known song.

Very cool!

Hubby and wifey rockin' out. Do we look hardcore or what?

A WHOLE Week Worth of Blogging

As an ode to Everett's birthday week (he turns one on Friday, can you believe it?!?), I've decided to try (try is the optimal word there) to post something about our little guy every day this week.

Everett, as most of you know, is a VERY happy boy. I don't know why we got so lucky, but he is very quick to grin and laugh. Will and I joke that he makes everyone feel like they're "so good with babies", because just about anyone who tries, strangers or family members alike, can get our guy to grin. He's especially smiley in front of the camera, which he seems to LOVE. He knows what our camera looks like, what noise it makes when it's being turned on, and even the beep beep it makes before the flash goes off. This kid is a natural in front of the lens. He was looking especially cute (in my humble opinion) earlier this week when we took these gems. Enjoy!

Gotta love a guy who's not afraid of a little belly showing.

Yup, he "nose" he's cute!

(Oh, I quack myself up - ha, ha, I did it again)

Trick or Treat?

Ah, Halloween. There's so much I could say about this "holiday". And most of it wouldn't be kind. For starters, I'm just not a big fan. Like at all. Like there's absolutely NOTHING appealing to me about 1) Getting dressed up, 2) Getting mostly chocolate candy from strangers, or 3) Scary ghosts and goblins and all that jazz that goes along with Halloween.

Pre-marriage and definitely pre-Everett, I used to think, "Ok, so I'm not a fan now, but surely once kids come along, I'll get into it. Surely their excitment will rub off on me." Now that I'm married to Will (who, incidentally loves Halloween) and we have just experienced Everett's first Halloween, my line of thinking has changed. Now I think, "Maybe once our kids are old enough to "get" Halloween, I'll get excited about it." Cause let me tell you folks, our first Halloween experience with Everett leaves MUCH to be desired!

One of our main issues was Everett's early bedtime. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, LOVE that Everett's such a good sleeper. But having a kid with a 6 pm bedtime makes any Halloween festivities rather difficult. And of course, on Tuesday, he was ready to call it a night at like 5:30. But my mom went through the effort of buying Mr. E a super cute spider costume (great minds must think alike, Heidi!), so we were going to try our best to take some pictures of Everett in full regalia, even if trick-or-treating was completely out of the question. And so, I give you, Everett's 1st Halloween:

Torn between being unhappy that we're trying to change him and trying to pose for the camera. That's why we have crying eyes and an open mouth that, given a few more seconds, would turn into a smile.

Almost fully dressed, except for that darn hat.

Getting frustrated that Dad's taking too long.

Ta da! I present, for your viewing pleasure, Everett "The Spider" Giddens.

And yes, full costuming only lasted a total of 1.2 seconds.

He was content, for a few minutes anyway, to play around in the costume. That counts as actually using the costume, right?

And about five minutes after this picture, he was...

Whoa now!

I know this blog is about Everett, but I just thought this was too thought provoking to be left alone. This video is crazy! May all of us try to be more diligent about appreciating our real beauty and not let the media's distortion get us down on ourselves!!

Strike a Pose, There's Nothin' to It

"Don't just stand there, let's get to it. Vogue."

In a word, that's exactly what Everett is. Vogue. Not to be confused with EnVogue, which is something totally different. Anyway, I digress.

Apparently, we have a budding male model on our hands. This entire "photo shoot" was completely Everett's doing. Mom and Dad didn't pose him or encourage him in any way. I guess we've simply got him trained to work it?!?

My personal opinion is that Mr. E was feeling especially sassy in his new "big boy" outfit. Everett says, "No more onesies for me! I've graduated to regular, button-down shirts just like everyone else."

See for yourself how the camera loves the kid, but be forewarned, he's positively oozing with personality.

Ok, so does he look waaaaay older in this picture than in the previous one or what?

How does that happen?

E's "thinking" pose

I love that he's looking away from the camera in this one.

Like he's really trying to show off the clothing or something.

Who loves ya baby?

Swing a Little Swing For Me

Everett and I have been hitting the playgrounds quite a bit as of late. And although our little chubster isn't walking just yet, he does enjoy a good swing.

(Be sure to check out his cool kicks. I love how the combination of the shoes and socks make his legs look extra chubby. As if that were possible!)

Born to be Wild

So a couple of weeks ago I made the mistake of asking Will to fix Everett's hair. What I meant was, "Will, could you comb Everett's hair?" What Will heard was, "Go crazy! Do whatever you want to our precious child's coif!" Before I knew it, Will had introduced Everett to the world of male styling products and gave him a gel-lified mohawk. Because that's what every 11 month old needs, right?

A serious mohawk for one serious eater.

I'm glad it didn't matter that Everett barely has enough hair to do anything with.

"Whatcha lookin' at, huh?"

Say "Cheese"!

Definitely. This picture definitely goes in my top 5 favorite taken of Everett. Ever.

G is for Grass

Everett's Tips for Sitting on Grass:

1. Always act startled when you first sit down. This scares away the bugs.

2. Immediately upon sitting, give the grass a stern talking to.

This lets the grass know who's boss.

3. If the grass seems impertinent, make yourself seem larger than life by throwing your hands and feet into the air.

4. Never shrink back in surprise. The grass will take this as a sign of weakness.

5. Use caution. Sometimes grass itches.

6. Realizing the grass is only thisbig aids in feeling more comfortable.

7. Eating the grass is strictly prohibited.

And finally, Everett's last rule for sitting on the grass:

8. Don't forget to sit back and enjoy!