A new favorite toy...

Ethan has a new favorite toy - his exersaucer/jumper thing. (yes, that's the technical term for it) He loves sitting in that thing jumping around and working his legs. I knew we needed to figure something else out when he kept standing in my lap jumping and hitting me in the face with his head. He's definitely an active little guy!

Are we there yet?

We went to OKC this past weekend to celebrate Chris' mom's birthday and Mother's Day. Ethan held up like a champ on the 4 hour car ride. Half way there I checked on him and took this picture. He didn't fuss too much, but he was definitely ready to get out of that carseat!

3 Months

It's been a fun month as Ethan has more than doubled what he weighed when he was born and has changed like crazy. He's aquired several new talents - one being that he has started sleeping 8-9 hours straight at night. I've hardly known what do with that much consecutive sleep! He finally figured out how to get his hand to his mouth (his poor face has taken a nice beating in the process), and two days ago he mastered sucking on his thumb. He's so fond of the thumb that he's been trying to sneak it in while eating. We have to fight to keep it out of his mouth! And my favorite new talent has been him smiling at me...does it get any better than that?!?

It's official...

Josh proposed to Caylee when she met in Ireland last week, and she said yes! We're super excited to have such a godly, fun, passionate woman join our family. I have never seen my little brother glow like he does when he's around her. It's only fitting he marries someone that has a name that starts with a "C" - we have 12 "C" and "K" names in our family!!

Easter Weekend

We went to Oklahoma this weekend to celebrate Easter with my family. Chris' mom came in town for the evening to see Ethan too. He was so excited to see her that he fell asleep on her and then managed to pee all over her. He also throws up on my dad everytime he sees him...I guess bodily fluids is his love language. Jon, Katie and Jack spent Friday night with us. I think Ethan and Jack really hit it off...they're even dressing alike.

I love this face!

3 Weeks

Well, the little guy has been here for 3 weeks now and it's hard to believe that his due date isn't till tomorrow! The last three weeks have been a blur...but a good blur. Ethan has really been such a good baby - all he's done is sleep, eat, and make dirty diapers. We've worked through the falling asleep during feeding (so much so that he more than gained his original birth weight back by his 2 week appointment - he was a whopping 6 lbs 5 oz!). Now we're slowly working on coming up with a bedtime routine. (it looks like our night social life will have to be put on the backburner for awhile!) It's been so fun to watch his little personality form...we've decided he will probably be a tad on the dramatic and quirky side. Man, he steals my heart more and more every day!

HE'S HERE!

Ethan David decided to suprise us last week by coming three and half weeks early (he didn't get the memo that we were going the full 40 weeks...). My water broke Sunday night around 11:45, we got to the hospital around 4:00, and about 5:45 Ethan joined us. He actually came so quickly that the doctor didn't even make it. It all happened so fast that it took about 48 hours for everything to set in for Chris and me. Everything is going well so far. Ethan has been such a good baby and I am starting to get used to operating on sleeping for two hours at a time!

Week #37

Where we are this week:
Babies come to term anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks--your 40-week due date simply marks the midpoint of this period. By the end of this week, your little one will be officially "on time" whenever he makes her entry into the world.

It's hard to believe we're getting so close! Reality set in when one of my friends, due a day before us, had her baby two days ago. Hello!!! This weekend we're going to try and get the nursery as finished as possible. (For anyone having a baby, I can't stress enough ordering a crib EARLY. We ordered ours three months ago only to find out that it's back ordered again till the end of March-1st of April!!!) We'll figure something out... More than anything, I think we're trying to get mentally prepared for the new change that is about to take place in our lives. (not that you can really prepare for that sort of thing...) It's been really hard for me to imagine having my life revolve around a little baby. On another blog (http://theologica.blogspot.com/), Chris found a quote from Martin Luther that was very challenging to me...

Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason . . . , takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, “Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores. . . ?” [LW 45:39]

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight. . . . God, with all his angels and creatures is smiling—not because the father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith.[LW 45:39-40]

Jack at 6 Months

The Holidays

Christmas and New Years was wonderful this year. We spent Christmas with Chris' family and New Years with mine. Between all the families, we were able to celebrate Christmas a total of four different times...that's taking full advantage of the holiday! While we enjoyed every minute of this year, it was hard not to think about how different things will be next year... We'll have a 10 month old in tow and we won't be "the kids" anymore. We'll have two little ones at my parent's house, and the video camera that used to be so intent on catching moment of us, will be much more focused on the grandkids! (as it should be) We've even started talking about what traditions we want to start with our immediate family. Crazy - I guess I am a grown up afterall!

Obsessive Aunt?

I can't help it...he's just so stinkin' cute! (I can't imagine what I am going to be like when it's my kid.)

The Running Man

Chris had his marathon this past weekend in Tulsa. He's been training for it for the past three months and it was so cool to see him accomplish this goal. He finished in great time and, minus the sore legs and nasty blood blister, he's feeling really good. I am so proud of him!

A Name for Baby H

We've been debating names for Baby H for the past month and have gotten no closer to deciding. So, we thought we'd see what other people thought about the names we've narrowed it down to (it worked for the Davis'!). Here is what we have thus far:

Cade
Carson
Connor
Austin

We're drawn to the "C" names but not strictly limited to them...thoughts?!?

Week #24

This is where Baby H is this week. (we're slowly narrowing down names...)

- Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.
- His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.
- Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste.
- Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb.
- Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.
- His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
- Baby weighs 1.3 pound and is 11.8 inches long.....almost the length of a ruler!

JT in his Bumbo Chair

I swear this little guy makes my heart melt. Of course this picture just made me laugh...all he needs is a beer in his hand and I know for sure that he's his dad's boy.

IT'S A BOY!

We had our first ultrasound yesterday and found out that my expanding belly is holding a baby boy. It was one of the coolest experiences to see the little guy squirming around in there. And it was such a relief hearing that everything looked normal. The whole ultrasound he was standing on his head and, surprisingly, was a little modest for the first few minutes. The technician couldn't get him to uncross his legs!!! Finally he did give us a good flash, and much to Chris' delight, he was most definitely a little boy. We're still working on a name for him...we may end up polling our blogging friends like the Davis' did and see what everyone thinks! We'll see...

Week #18

This where Baby H is this week...

Your baby's brain is growing rapidly. By this stage, all of the major areas have been differentiated. The cortical layers, which govern specific brain functions, are beginning to form. The fetus may exhibit signs of a primitive body language in utero, such as recoiling when the needle for the amniocentesis comes too close for comfort. Within the next few weeks, she'll be able to hear voices outside the womb and respond positively to music or loving words. It's time to fine-tune your singing and storytelling skills!

Busy last few weeks...

We have been all over, or at least it seems like it, the past few weeks. We were able attend my sweet cousin Kayla's wedding in Texas three weeks ago. Of course she looked beautiful and it was great to see that side of the family. Two weeks later we headed to New Mexico (again) for my cousin Mark's wedding. The whole even was wonderful and such a testament to their love throughout all they've been through this past year. Last weekend we headed to Oklahoma for Chris' 10 year reunion and for my annual reunion with "The 8". It was a total whirlwind but we managed to get it all in. I even got to see Chris' high school and the town he grew up in. It was a fabulous weekend. Now we're ready to be home for awhile...

Domesticated...kinda

I decided to attempt a recipe from this months Real Simple. With a name like that, they have to have simple recipes, right?! Well, this was one was pretty easy and it turned out amazingly well! I was so proud of that golden bird that I had to take a picture of it. It even tasted good. Of course my cooking high was quickly deflated as the cobbler I made tasted like foot. I guess you can't win them all....