Using a Fork

It hadn't occurred to me that maybe Ethan should start using utensils while eating till last week. I am not sure why I started with a fork, since in the hands of a 14 mth old could be a nice weapon, but the stabbing motion really excited him. Go figure. He picked it up almost immediately, and I couldn't help but be so proud. Of course at dinner when I proudly gave him his fork and told him to show is dad his new trick, he threw the fork, grabbed the place mat and knocked the plate on the floor. Lovely. So now we know he CAN do it...we're working on the does he FEEL like doing it. Our poor carpet.

Home Sweet Home...For Sale

We've decided to put our home on the market. After almost 4 years here, we've decided that we're ready for something a little bigger. I didn't realize how attached to our house I had gotten till we've started talking about selling it. It's been such a great place to start our family... Walks to the downtown square and farmer's market have been so fun. Hopefully we can find another house in the neighborhood. If you know of anyone that's looking for a great home, have them give us a call. :)

14 Months

Oh, my child is a ham! He loves putting on hats, sunglasses...anything...and then performing for whomever will watch. I have no idea where he gets it...Chris.... :) We've enjoyed actually being healthy this past month, and have been visit to family and hang out with friends. He's perfecting his ball throwing and kicking. Being outside is at the top of his list of things to do, and as long as he has a stick in his hand, he's happy. Bath time has become a favorite again too. (we went through a stretch there where he was not a fan) After dinner he's started chanting "baa-time" and when the water starts running you'd think it was Christmas. With as much time as we've spent outside (in the dirt) it's a very good thing he enjoys "baa-time".

The Boys

We had friends and their boys over for dinner. Dinner was very quick because the backyard was calling. I heard stories of wrestling, boys being dragged behind the wagon, and trips down the gully to retrieve balls. I think it was good that moms stayed inside.

A New Friend

Few things actually stop Ethan in his tracks when he is on the move, but the emergence of this new "friend" really threw him for a loop. He couldn't seem to ever really get away from this thing chasing him. He kept looking at my like "make this thing go away". It was quite entertaining.

Hugs & Kisses

Ethan was in a particularly affectionate mood on this day, so I thought I would get a rare picture of the two of us. There's not much better than a hug from this guy...

Hats

Ethan loves hats. Well, anything that goes on his head that could resemble a hat. Favorites are shirts, pants, tupperwear, a headband of mine (much to his dad's disdain), and of course real baseball hats. We went to eat at Firehouse Subs this week and they give all kids a fireman's hat. He wore it throughout the whole dinner and played with it in the car on the way home. His arms are just barely long enough to reach the top of his head, so it's caused a little frustration trying to get things up there. But he's realized all he has to do is carry it to me, give me "puppy dog eyes" and I will put it on his head for him. Smart kid.

The Foo Fighters

Chris and I went to see the Foo Fighters in concert this past weekend. It was a little weird being out at night, without a kid, AND going to a concert. It was almost like the "old days". We had a great time being together and the FF put on a fabulous show. I am thoroughly amazed that Dave Grohl has a voice after putting that kind of performance night after night. If you squint, you can see him in the picture. Kind of. Seeing them live really renewed my love for them. Now I am ready for another concert!

Diaper Fun

With the stomach flu (as mentioned in my last post) has come A LOT of blow-out diapers and, in turn, a lot of laundry. During this particular major diaper and clothes change, I let Ethan play in his room while I cleaned everything up. I thought he was entertaining himself well...and he was...by pulling every single diaper out of his drawer. It was another one of those moments where I couldn't help but laugh. That caused my little ham to start showing off by making funny faces and dancing around. So out came the camera and this is what I caught. 

Family, The Flu, A Car Date

We went to OK last weekend, and it was so good to see family and eat some of my mom's good cookin'. Jon, Katie, Chris and I all went to the OSU basketball game while Mimi and Papi watched the boys. This was the first time that they both seemed to acknowledge the other's presence while playing. Sunday, Chris' mom came for a visit and while she was there Ethan got the stomach flu. In turn, he passed it on to her, both my parents, Chris and me. The second half of the time there was spend taking turns in bed while someone watched Ethan (who remarkably was in great mood in spite of a messed up tummy). Before everyone else got sick, Ethan enjoyed playing in the backyard with Papi, and he took his first car date with the little girl next door. She drove him around in her little motorized Jeep and Ethan was in heaven. He screamed and held on to the car when I tried to take him out. Not a typical ending to a first date, but what can you do?

Brushing Teeth

Ethan is fascinated with teeth brushing. Unfortunately, it's more interesting for him to watch other people do it rather than have his own teeth brushed. (it's caused a few battles of the will) But on this Saturday morning it seemed liked a good idea to be just like his dad. I had to capture the moment...

13 Months

February has been an interesting month. Ethan and I caught BOTH strains of the flu just two weeks apart, so we've spent most of the month in quarantine. We have had fun moments too. He got into his first "fight" at play group. You think his eye looks bad...you should see the other kid's. (okay, not really) He's started mimicking words and phrases more. My favorite is when he is told "no touch", he repeats it and puts his hands down at his side (most of the time). He loves playing with balls and has started kicking his soccer ball around the house (but only with his right foot). He also loves his stuffed puppy dogs, and patting his belly when asked where his tummy is. He's developed a STRONG southern accent when saying "bye" - it's more Mississippi than Arkansas... And we've also started to see the emergence of a strong will. The other day when he didn't get his way, he walked over to me, got on his hands and knees, and started banging his head on the floor while screaming (it was on the carpet - don't worry grandparents). It kind of took me off guard. Then I couldn't help but laugh, and then I remembered I was the mom who probably should be using this moment to teach him something...but I wasn't sure what to do. This parenting thing is HARD.

Snow

I can't believe I forgot to post Ethan's first play in the snow. (We certainly didn't have to worry about losing him - his orange clothes glowed... Sadly, Chris insisted on balancing out all the orange with some crimson and cream.) Ethan seemed pretty indifferent about the snow. He kept getting frustrated because he couldn't walk in it. Maybe next year will be more fun.

The Kissing Game

Ethan has started playing a new game. From a distance, he'll catch my eye, start laughing, and then run towards me with arms wide open. (oh yeah, talk about melting a mom's heart) Once in my arms, he proceeds to give me a big 'ole kiss. The only thing is that his "kiss" is open-mouth and ALL tongue. With face like this, it's impossible to resist...so I have just had to get used to my makeup on the lower half of my face being completely gone by the end of the day. It's so worth it.

Good times with TP

And we've found the toilet paper roll. It's amazing what common things to us can be so much fun to little ones! Whenever I caught him playing with the TP, of course I had to run and get my camera. I am sure the laughing and picture snapping seemed to encourage this new play toy. Poor kid has to be so confused b/c now that we had a good photo-op, the TP is now "no touch". This can't be good parenting....

Textures

Over the past several weeks, Ethan has become infatuated with soft, fuzzy things. He has a stuffed bunny that he LOVES walking around rubbing on his face. It only poses a problem when things like a wall or table gets in his way. He usually ends up on his back with a puzzled look on his face, but thankfully the bunny is very stuffed and keeps his face protected. He also has fallen in love with a brown blanket that his cousin Alyssa gave to me last year. He pulls it onto the floor and then falls face into it. He'll rub his face on it and smile. (I think I interrupted a moment to take the above picture...) With cold season here and his continuously runny nose, this blanket has been christened with his snot. Now the blanket belongs to him.

1 Year Old

I can't believe my little guy is a year old... The time has flown by! This past year has truly been amazing as we have watched him go from a TINY 5 lb 11 oz baby to a constantly moving and smiling toddler. Chris and I feel so blessed to have this little man in our lives.

It's about time.

It's taken me way too long to get some of our Christmas pictures up. We started the holiday out with a few traditions of our own. The three of us went on a carriage ride in the square and opened gifts together on the 23rd. We were able to see Chris' family on the 23rd as well. We spent the rest of the Christmas holiday with my family in OK and had a fabulous time. Ethan and Jack seemed to enjoy passing each other on the run. Jack wasn't real sure what to think about having another little person around taking away his Mimi and Papi, but he seemed to get used to it. We had a blast watching the little guys play, eating tons of Mimi's amazing food, sitting in front of Papi's fire, opening gifts, and laughing together. I don't think it could have been any more perfect!

An "I am old" moment...

A local gym is offering a free, 21-day trial, so last week I went in for my first appointment. An employee there was taking down my information and proceeded to make some small talk. He asked if I was from the area, and I told him that I was from OK. He said that he was originally from Muskogee, so I thought that he might know a good friend of mine that grew up there. When I asked him and he said no, I realized he might be too young to know her. So I asked his age - he was EIGHTEEN! My quick math skills told me that he was ELEVEN years younger than me!! Of course he wouldn't know my friend - when she was in high school he would be like six. I couldn't stop laughing as I realized that someone 11 years my junior could be a trainer at a gym. I had finally gotten used to the idea that I am a mom, but now I am just feeling old...

The 3 Crazy H Ranch

We spent some time with Pa Pa David a few weeks ago, and Ethan was able to check out some ranch life. A fresh batch of baby goats were born, and Ethan enjoyed playing with one of them. He kept trying to "kiss" the poor goat - which means open mouth with a little tongue. He was also able to see his cousin's new horse, some sheep, cows and ducks. (it was so much better than looking at pictures of animals in books!) Ethan also was really captivated by his Pa Pa's chest hair... Is that weird?!

11 Months Old

I have several other things that I need to post (gotta keep this chronologically straight), but I couldn't help but post this picture taken by my super talented sister in law, Caylee. (she's a photographer for hire...) Anyway, I loved this picture and had to get it on the blog.

While I am here I might as well talk about the E-Train turning 11 months old and what fun last month was. Between being at both grandparent's houses, Ethan has had a lot of room to practice his walking. It still amazes me how well he's getting around. We've only managed to break two bowls and get numerous bruises in the process. He's on a HUGE "Daddy kick" - he cries every morning when Chris leaves for work. Sometimes I wonder if he even likes me...then I remind myself that I have been watching too much "Family Guy". (Stewie is always trying to commit matricide...) Anyway, Ethan is a daddy's boy. We also spent some time at Pa Pa David's ranch where Ethan petted/licked a new baby goat. He attended his first funeral - Chris' grandma passed away. (this does not fall under the "fun month" category) And he was able to spend a lot of time with both sets of cousins. It's been a busy month, and we're looking forward to another wild and crazy year!

Merry Christmas!

Books

Ethan has really started to love being read to. He loves sitting in our lap and listening to his stories. Chris couldn't get him out of his lap the other day and ended up reading "The Fire Truck" about 15 times. "Go Dog, Go" and "Llamas in Pajamas" are other favorites. We find ourselves quoting these books in conversations now... The other day Ethan was playing in his room and got really quiet, (usually a bad sign) but much to my delight, he was looking at his books by himself. I hope that his love of "reading" continues the rest of his life.

The "Bad Ball"

It is the strangest thing...Ethan is scared to death of this OSU ball. If you hit or drop the ball it plays an OSU song and says "Go Cowboys"...nothing too crazy. But even the sight of it causes him to start crying. (I swear Chris must be showing him the ball and pinching him when I am not around.) At first I was hiding the ball under the couch to keep the meltdowns at a minimum. But then I had a stroke of genius (or child abuse)...I put it in front of our dvd player. We have been working on "no touch" - to no avail. However, with the "bad ball" in front of the dvd player, I have not had to say "no touch" in two weeks! It's hilarious to watch Ethan weigh the pros and cons out. He'll stand a safe distance away, look at the ball, take a step or two towards it, shake his head, and walk away. I love it. Does this make me a bad mom?!?

A Saturday on the Square

Last Saturday there was a Christmas parade and events in our downtown square. There were carolers, lights, pony and camel rides, hot chocolate, people dressed as penguins (we're not sure why) and a nice chill in the air. Ethan hung out with baby Jesus for awhile (the glass covering the manger scene apparently tasted really good), and he loved watching the camel walk by. The afternoon only got better when his dad let him "walk" around and talk to people.

And we're off...

It's official: the E-Train is walking. He's been walking with assistance for about two months now, but last week he realized he could take a few steps on his own. This week he's gotten more confident and is taking several steps. The only problem is once he's realized he's on his own, he lunges forward to grab something. Yesterday it was the dishwasher door that was down. He's got a little battle wound to show for it, but he seems pretty unfazed. And my life is continuing to change... (I tried to capture his walking several times with a camera, but he kept lunging for it causing me to get some really good "mid-air" shots. I will keep trying and post when I get a good one.)

Thanksgiving '07

We spent Thanksgiving "down South" with Chris' side of the family. We ate very well and enjoyed time relaxing with the fam. Unfortunately the weekend took a sour turn as our Cowboys lost (again) to the Sooners. I don't know why the game has to be on a holiday weekend...especially since I married into a Sooner-heavy family. I still wore my orange proudly.

10 Months

(I apologize ahead of time for the hat...) It's hard to believe that our little man is getting closer to the one year mark. He's started pulling up on everything so he can stand up, so our house decorations are slowly inching up. Walking isn't too far around the corner either... He's continuing to be a social little guy - he absolutely loves going places and talking to anyone who will pay attention to him. I have a feeling he's going to have the same issue as his dad in school..."He's such a sweet, smart kid. He just talks a lot."

The Entertainer

Ethan has now realized that his "frustrated face" (the pursing of lips and blowing air out of his nose) is funny to his mom and dad. So, with the entertainer blood in him, he's doing it all the time to see what reaction he can get. I am not sure it will ever stop being hilarious...

A little gentleman...

Rockin' Hair

I always thought having a little girl would be fun so that I could play with her hair. I had no idea a little boy's hair could be so fun!

A Family Pic

A picture with all three of us seem to be few and far between these days. We took matters into our own hands this weekend as we headed to a church hayride. We couldn't get Ethan to smile for the camera, but I thought it was cute anyway. As I look at this picture I have to laugh - I (AGAIN) didn't realize that Ethan had food on his face. Poor kid.

Leaves

I am continually amazed at the fall here in NWA. The past two weeks I have wandered our neighborhood drooling over the incredible colors splashed everywhere. It's a little sad how a camera doesn't come close to capturing what the trees look like in person, but I couldn't help but try...

A Cute Dragon

Ethan was a vegetarian dragon for Halloween. (I say this b/c I didn't notice how much squash he had on his face till after we got him home that night) He wasn't overly happy about putting his costume on until he saw Tate the Bumblebee and Wonder Bread Kate. As the three kids took turn having meltdowns towards the end of the evening, we parents finally admitted that the night was more about us and the pictures. If our poor children survive us...

Chris & His Boss "Hard at Work"

Troy "the Boss" pre-race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FeUgRBUBB4
Chris pre-race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLzqav61G20
THE Race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rTuyHt80MI

This race has been planned for a couple weeks now. Bragging rights and $25 were at stake. It started out close in the beginning, but my speedy baby tore through the finish line first. We're going out celebrating tonight! Thanks for dinner, Troy. :)

a Cowner...a Soonboy...a Cooner?

With rival schools (and families), this poor kid is going to be so confused. He'll probably end up going to Texas...

The Pumpkin Patch

We took Ethan to buy a pumpkin and to get the standard "baby in the pumpkin patch" picture this week. I don't think he was nearly as excited as were were. As soon as we sat him down, the straw took up all his attention. And even with Chris' best song and dance routine, we still couldn't get him to smile. Oh, well..."pensive in the pumpkins" works too.

Bath Time

Ethan's new favorite bedtime activity is bath time. He gets so excited when he sees that water running that he tries to push out of my arms into the water...he's getting rather strong, so I could be in trouble soon. He enjoys laying on his back and kicking as fast as his little legs will go - splashing water EVERYWHERE. He just giggles and sticks his tongue out as we attempt to dodge the waves.

How you doin'?

This picture just makes me laugh... It's a mix of Joey-meets-Senior-pictures.

Crawling

It's been hilarious watching Ethan's personality come out while he's been learning to crawl. The poor little guy gets so frustrated that he can't quite make it all work. For awhile he would just scream because he was so mad, but just yesterday he started breathing heavily out of his nose and pursing his lips. (you can click on the picture to get a better view of his new "I am mad" look) I am sure seeing me laughing and snapping pictures while he was hard at work didn't help things...

Another fun month.

September was another fun month in Ethan's life. He was in Oklahoma 3 out of 5 weekends, he watched his Uncle Josh get married, he developed an unknown food allergy, he learned that he can climb out of his swing, that he can scream and get people's attention while shopping with mom, that walking (with assistance) is much more fun than "tummy time", and that a little scooting/crawling across the floor will cause parents and grandparents to do very funny and strange things (like victory dances and weird cheers).

Another cousin for Ethan...

Jon and Katie sent us this picture last week. Jack has no idea how much his life is about to change... My life stopped being fair the minute Jon was born. :)

A new toy...

One of Chris' co-workers gave Ethan a toy of her son's that he'd outgrown. I really thought it was too big for Ethan, but we sat him down in the chair and he LOVED it. He pushes the little light and it sings to him and turns on/off. Ethan has been sitting in the chair every chance he gets with his hand propped up on the light...laughing. Ah, he's so fun.

7 Months Old

It's really hard for me to believe that the E-Train has been around for 7 months now. I can hardly remember life without him. (Well, I can vaguely remember being able to sleep in..) It's been another eventful month in his life. We've been to the creek and to several pools; started eating solid foods only to develop a food allergy that wreaked havoc on this face; taken several trips to see family in OK and Alma; fallen off the bed for the first time (if he survives me, it will be a miracle). We've found our feet and love trying eat them, and we're getting this sitting up thing down to a fine art. He's also VERY chatty and his babbling continues to make me laugh and my heart melt. (ask me if him asking "why" 13 million times a year or so from now elicits the same response..) I really didn't think that having a kiddo could be this fun...Okay enough gushing.

A Good Cousin

We had lunch with my family on Sunday, and Ethan and Jack were naturally thrilled to see each other. (okay, so there were more indifferent at first, but they warmed up to each other) I am not sure what it is about babies, but it seems like as soon as you sit them down in front of each other they start poking at each other's face. Well, true to form, as soon as Jack got close to Ethan, he stuck his finger right in Ethan's mouth. (better than his eye) After recovering from the surprise (as seen in the above picture), Ethan went to town sucking on it. Both boys didn't seem to understand why everyone got suck a kick out of the gesture...

Weekend with Grandma Debbie

We went to Oklahoma this weekend so we could attend Grandma Debbie's annual company party. The company had a cookout at the Bricktown ball park, which was a great idea if weren't SOOO hot! (what happened to our beautifully mild summer???) In spite of the heat, we all had a great time. It's hard not to have fun with cousins around!

A Chew Toy

Ethan has to be teething. He's chewing on everything in sight....including his Dad's nose. Anytime he's near Chris' face, he latches on. It was hilarious at first, but I think Chris is getting a little tired of drying his face off every time.

Maggie

Last weekend we were in Stillwater. We got to see Ethan's new girlfriend, Maggie. They hadn't seen each other in about 5 months, so they had a lot of catching up to do.

"Swimming" with Tater Tot

The boys "swam" last week in Tate's little pool. I really need to get Ethan out more...his skin is still glowing.

A Morning in the Square

We had a fabulous time with my family in town two weekends ago. We all walked down to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and had breakfast at a local coffee shop. I am not sure how it happened, but both Jack and Ethan ended up in just a diaper in the fountain. Jack LOVED getting his face put in the water streams...Ethan wasn't as big of a fan. I am sure we all looked hilarious with our cameras while we stuck our half naked babies into a city fountain.

Expressions

The little man is getting more and more expressive - especially with his eyebrows. We had gone on a walk and I had gotten distracted with a small project in the yard. Rather than yelling to get my attention, he just stared at me with these big puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately for him, it didn't get him out of his stroller faster. Instead, I had to run and get my camera. After about 15 pictures and some time laughing, he finally was rescued.

Yumm, Rice Cereal....

We had our first attempt at "solid" foods this week. (I use the word "solid" very loosely) I think we ended up with more cereal on his bib than in his belly, but it was entertaining watching him try to figure out what to do when the stuff hit his mouth. I am sure that Chris and I were pretty entertaining too, running around with the camcorder and the camera getting this experience in as many different angles as we could. Yes, he's our firstborn, if you didn't know.

4th of July

For the 4th we went down to Mulberry to relax on the river with some of Chris' fam. Ethan was able to sport his new swimsuit, his OSU cap, and his VERY pasty, white skin! He seemed very indifferent about the water until one of his cousins, trying to help cool him off, poured water on him and scared him. After one scream, all was well. It was a great way to spend the 4th, but I have a feeling next year will be a whole lot more entertaining...