Evangeline Turns 3 (part 1): St. Louis, the Zoo and Mizzou Homecoming

Last week we celebrated our first little girl's third birthday. Evangeline is growing so tall she is 31.5 lbs and 36 inches tall. She wears size 8 shoes and 3T clothes. She doesn't eat a lot of diverse foods but she gradually is adding food. She can write her own name and knows all her colors. She also knows about 30 words in French. She loves people, and is very helpful. She loves dinosaurs, princesses and super heroes. But most of all she loves her little sister.

At Chesterfield Central Park with James.

Roger and Margery.

Hide and seek in the sculptures.

Her birthday began with a celebration with our friends the McCommis Family who live in St. Louis. We miss them here in Columbia, but try to see them every other month when we head to St. Louis. First we went to a park in Chesterfield, MO for a play date, and then headed back to the McCommis' house. Evangeline and James blew out candles together.

Brenda and I met in our birth class and James and Evangeline are three days apart in age. We also introduced Margery to James's little brother Roger. Roger was born in February he's 8 months old but was early so he am Margery are pretty close in size. Roger loved this. We had a delicious dinner and cupcakes that Kyle, James's daddy made.

All the kiddos rolling on the ground.

The 3-year-olds and their cupcakes.

Playing with James.

Instant Friends.

The Perreault girls and the McCommis boys.

We picked my parents up at the St. Louis Airport and headed to a Starbucks for a little snack before heading to the St. Louis Zoo. Brenda, James and Roger met us for part of our time there. It was Margery's first zoo trip.

St. Louis Zoo with Grandma and Grandpa Wiggins.

Over the bridge, walking to the zoo.

Trying to look for ducks.

Margery and Grandpa.

Margery and Mama.                                                    Our little River Otter.

 Friday Evangeline had cupcakes at school for her birthday. She insisted on wearing her cupcake dress. Grandma and Grandpa took her to ride the carousel at the mall.

Saturday we got up early and all went the University of Missouri Homecoming Parade. Evangeline hung out with her friends Siri and Eliot. We were also joined by some of her friends from La Petite Ecole. The kids loved the parade, as well as the candy, beads and footballs they collected from the people in the parade.

Waiting for the parade.

Margery's first Parade with her daddy. She thought the drums were a little too loud.

Collecting candy in Elsa bags.

Evangeline is Turning 3

Hooray, Pourray for Mommy, Disseration here I come...

Today is the first day I have not been over-stressed in almost six months. I can finally call myself a PhD candidate. It is an amazing feeling, relief and accomplishment. All that stands between me being labeled "Dr. Mimi" is a dissertation. While that's a challenge in itself, I am definitely excited about the research process.

I read an article on Vitae from the Chronicle of Higher Education today. It is written by a woman who works at South Dakota State University in the Journalism. I felt that a lot of what she said was true, but what I noticed is that she did not have a good support structure. Regardless of what career you are in, being a single mom is difficult. I don't have to do what I do alone, and I know that is a privilege and beyond that a gift. That said I understand that academic "motherhood" is a challenge, as is academic "fatherhood."

I am so glad to have a husband who supports me. Our marriage makes any goal easier to take on because we plan for our goals together. However, I can relate to her work-ethic arguments and gender challenges. Despite these challenges, I believe we are making progress in the world of academia. I hope I am an example of what can happen when women and men support female academics and families of academics. Thank you to our Mizzou PhD family for all you have done to support Greg and me in our academic "parenthood."

As I continue on this journey, my children make my accomplishments mean so much more. I know they do not understand the significance of what I am doing right now, but I know our lives will be so much different because of the path we chose to take. With the support of each other, our parents, siblings and friends so much more is possible. We can't do it alone, and we would not want to. Thank you.

And now we are both 31...

So I wanted to do a separate post in honor of Greg and I both being 31. Its amazing that 31 feels so much older, not to mention I feel so much older now that Greg is 31 too.

Greg had an amazing birthday thanks to generous family and friends. Here's some highlights from the many birthday celebrations we had last week to celebrate our main man in the Perreault House.

Grandma Carri and Lenie made Daddy cupcakes!

Evangeline wanted to get her daddy a "hair bow" which is actually a bow tie for his birthday.

Three birthday cupcakes for three decades.

A sombrero at Agave.

Post Agave Ice Cream Cake with 30ish candles and help from Evangeline to blow them out.

Scaring ourselves to death in the air at the City Museum.

Daddy and his girls ride the City Museum Ferris Wheel.

An end to our St. Louis adventure, Daddy his girls and his Bro Dan.

New Family Photos to Share

I forgot to share our new family photos.

Here are a few selections as well.

Wake me up when September ends...

Margery loves to sleep.

I guess I have some catching up to do.

I feel like that is always the case.
(And yes Greg I stole this title from your text message to me today, credit to Green Day.)

This past month has been insane. Wait that's an understatement. Margery turns two months tomorrow. Boy has she grown up. She is lifting her head and sleeping through the night. She is a little colicy from 8 to 11 p.m. but we have found the baby carrier works good for that.

Margery in action.

At her one month appointment she weighed 9 lbs and 5 ounces, and was 22 inches long. This is up a pound from her birth weight and a half an inch longer.
She is a good nurser and sleeper. She is also a very peaceful baby.

Evangeline misses her sister when she goes to school.

Evangeline is in school and is sad every morning when she leaves her sister.

Evangeline's first day of La Petite Ecole.

Sister love. Teaching Evangeline how to touch her sister the right way has been a challenge.

Visit from our friend Gabe Varner for sister's Sip and See.

Since Margery was born, our house has been full of love and help.

At the end of August, we held a party for Margery and invited all our friends and family to attend. People were able to hold Margery and shower her with kisses and gifts. Our friends the Varners came in town from Arkansas for the weekend, and stayed with us. We are so grateful that they continue to be our friends although it takes a drive across state lines.

Our friend Sari also stopped through when she was moving to California. Her mom and her stayed the night and took a mini tour of Columbia and the University of Missouri with Mimi as a tour guide.

Margery all dressed up for her Sip and See.

We received a gift from Greg's grandmother and mother and were able to purchase an awesome new double jogger, BOB brand. Greg runs on a regular basis with Evangeline and we hope when Margery is old enough she can join in the fun. Greg's been busy preparing to run his first Marathon and a half in January. He's also working on his dissertation and shadowing a multimedia class.

Our new double BOB stroller.

Daddy and his girls, Evangeline wants to be held when the baby is being held a lot of the time.

Greg is also busy trying to figure out how to juggle two girls. He spends a lot of time with Evangeline (who also goes by Lenie now) as well as carrying Margery around in the carrier.

Evangeline with her Grandma with her Flower Girl Flower.

Grandma Carri visited while Mimi was busy with her exams and helped out a ton. Evangeline had a great time doing puzzles and going on adventures with her Grandma. Good thing Grandma will be back in a month.

Polk-a-dot Perreault Girls with Grandma Carri.

Grandma Carri and Lenie.

Momma is glad her comps are done!

As I mentioned before, month involved Mimi taking comprehensive exams. She sat in a room for four hours a day, every other day for two weeks. She will know the results of the five exams on October 6.  Once these are done she will join Greg in applying for jobs.

We also had Cate and Danny in town for Margery's baptism. We showed them around CoMo and took them to St. Louis for the day to see the City Museum and Gateway Arch. We were so sad to see them leave. Lenie actually cried at the airport and refused to leave she was so sad. We watched the plane fly "into the clouds" as she cried her eyes out. Then we went to the car and she fell asleep on the ride home. Life as a 2 almost 3 year old is so hard.

Margery's Baptism Day with Godparents Aunt Cate and Uncle Danny.

At the City Museum with Aunt Edge, Uncle Danny and Aunt Cate.

Lenie with Uncle Danny and Aunt Cate.

We are really excited about what will happen here in the next year. As Mimi finishes her comprehensive exams we are both applying for jobs all over the country. It is exciting to think about where we might end up. Its exciting but scary at the same time. I'm trying to find peace in the process.

Also this year my youngest sister, Sarah will be getting married and we are all in the wedding. Mimi will be a Matron of Honor and Evangeline and Margery will be Flower Girls. Greg will be an usher.

We are so thankful for our friends and neighbors who brought us food and watched Evangeline during this last month. We are also thankful for those who attended Margery's Sip and See in late August.