Down South

We headed South this weekend to see the Hoyle clan. It was Chris' dad's birthday AND Father's Day, so we had a lot of celebrating to do. The guys also had cattle to work, so the Ethan, Owen and I played with Kerri and the cousins. Ethan, as always, loved getting to see all the animals. Between the horses, the donkey, cows, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, ducks, and who knows what else, he has no need for any farm books! He gets to see them all first hand.

He also loves being the center of attention with his big cousins...although that's changing now with Owen in the picture. Alyssa took on the role of taking care of Owen, and she did an awesome job watching him. And I think Adam is glad to finally have someone younger than him so he can be in charge! Alex is the cool oldest cousin that can play the guitar, so Ethan is crazy about him too.

Actually...

Ethan is getting more and more entertaining. His vocabulary continues to expand like crazy, and it's been hilarious watching his personality continue to develop. Apparently I say "actually" quite a bit because Ethan has started incorporating it in almost EVERY sentence. You'd actually be amazed at how many times it's been said lately. :) He's also started asking the standard two year old question, "Why?". Oh, Lord, please give me patience! He's also started saying, "Momma, I love you lots" which completely melts my heart. Of course he's learning that after saying that he can usually get what he wants. I'm pretty okay with being charmed by him...so far...

The Lake

Last weekend we went to Lake of the Ozarks with our friends that Harris'. We stayed at Amy's parent's amazing condo that looked out over the lake. We were able to take a couple boat rides, ride a jet ski, enjoy some sun at the pool, and we even managed to stay up late both nights after the kids went to bed to enjoy some grown up time.

Ethan was a little hesitant about all the new things at first, but it didn't take long for him to fall in love with driving the boat and swimming with his dad. He also loved playing with Drew and Ellie. He and Ellie have a weird sort of love/hate relationship. They were either loving on each other or taking turns pushing each other. (Ellie is a year younger but she more than holds her own!) Drew, being smart, stayed out of most of their spats and worked on learning how to walk. We were able to see his first several steps at the pool!

Sweet Owen didn't make it in a lot of the pictures, but I am sure he had a good time observing all the craziness.

It's taken me a full week to recover from all the excitement, but I am ready to go back!

Whirlwind of a Weekend

Last weekend we went to Oklahoma, and I think we crammed about a months worth of weekend events into one weekend. We left Friday for Tulsa so that Owen and I could see our favorite Dr Asher there. My mom met us there and took Ethan on to Stillwater so that Chris and I could get lunch and do some shopping. It was amazing how just having Owen with us seemed like a vacation!That night we left both boys with my parents and celebrated our 5 year anniversary at the Atherton Hotel in Stillwater. We had a fabulous dinner at the Rancher's Club there. Owen took a bottle that night and the next morning, so we got a whole 15 hours with just the two of us. It was amazing.

On Saturday, we picked up Owen and headed to Norman to see Chris' mom. Ethan stayed with my parents and had the time of his life. My dad took him for donuts for breakfast, to Lowe's, to the OSU basketball stadium, the football stadium, for tractor rides, and who knows what else! I think my dad slept really well after the weekend!

That night, Chris, Owen and I headed to my friend, Brandi's, wedding. It was so good to see Kristin, Kobie, and Rachelle there too. We were able to all go out after the wedding and do a little catching up. It made me really ready for our annual Labor Day trip together.

On Sunday we were back in Stillwater for Owen's baby shower thrown by some family friends. It was great to see everyone there, and Owen got some really cute things. Now he actually has some clothes that his big brother didn't wear first!

It was such a fun weekend, and everything went so smoothly. We loved every minute of it, but we were definitely ready to get home.

Half Way to Hippie...

(This is Owen modeling his cloth diaper and his new favorite trick - sucking on his hand)

So, we figured since we had gotten into the natural child birth thing, we should go ahead and take the next hippie step to cloth diapering. Actually, it was mostly motivated by the thought of saving money, and some curiosity b/c everyone that does cloth diapering claims to LOVE IT. Weird, I know.

We made an investment of about $200 to get all the cloth stuff we would need (8 all-in-ones, 18 prefolds, 3 covers and 2 Snappis), and we figured that I would need to stick to it for at least 4 months to break even. We've got a month under our belt, and while I feel like we've got the hang of it, I am no where near LOVING IT. It really hasn't been too big of an adjustment. The extra load of laundry every third day is easy, but the smell of the diapers grosses me out. (and we're not even to the serious stuff yet!) It bothers me that some of the diapers are already stained...if I use them on our next kid, will they feel abused for wearing used diapers?! I see the bills for the shrink adding up... (any suggestions on stain removal other cloth diapering moms?)

On the positive side, I think the all-in-ones are really cute. It does feel good to not have to buy diapers, and our trash can is a lot lighter too. Like I said, though, I don't love it yet. So we'll see how things progress.

Big Top

My new nick name for Owen is "Big Top". The poor kid's head is huge, but he's doing a pretty good job of holding it up considering. We finally found our Bumbo (thanks, Papa!), and Owen really seemed to like sitting in it. He gets so frustrated when he's laying on the floor...I think he knows he's missing out on all the action.

I couldn't help myself...

Ethan is going to kill me for posting this picture when he's older, but I just couldn't help it! We're no where near being ready to potty train, but every once and awhile he'll ask to go potty. He's getting a little more particular in how he wants it all to work - he has to have a book and the door must be closed all the way with no one else in there. (He "scolded" me for opening the door to take this picture.)

My Guys

Ethan really has a way of making Owen laugh that no one else does. We've been trying to keep Ethan off of Owen, and then we realized that (for the most part) Owen really seems to like Ethan all up in his face! He laughs and starts kicking like crazy. Of course that just encourages Ethan more. I hope this little duo continues to enjoy each others company as they get older!

Owen is 3 Months Old

(Owen was intently watching his big brother perform for him. He was mesmerized! And just ignore the drool spot on his shirt. :) )

I can't believe my sweet little guy has been here for three months now. I am constantly amazed at how much he's changed. He's become obsessed with trying to get his hands in his mouth - his poor little face has the marks to show it as he's punched himself repeatedly. He's got the greatest little grin with two dimples that shows up more and more now. And he's survived his first "war wound" from his big brother. (a nice scratch on the face from Ethan getting a little too excited to see him.) I have a feeling Owen is going to be my dramatic child. He can be completely fine and then out of the blue he can let out the worst cry to let you know he's suddenly unhappy. He also has perfected the bottom lip turned down that is the most pitiful thing. One of these days I will get it on camera...

The ABCs

We've been working on our ABCs for awhile now. Ethan had it down but then regressed making up his own alphabet for awhile. It was pretty entertaining - lots of "elemenopies". But this past week week he decided to go back to the standard alphabet, and I was able to get it on camera.

The Wright Family

When we were in Oklahoma a few weekends ago, I was able to see my dear friend, LeAnne, and her family. She and I were kindred spirits in college. We spent many hours in the art studio together, survived being roommates, walked through life's many ups and downs, and shared all comedy that the male species in our lives brought. We're still sharing comedy in our lives - the males are just smaller (and waaaay cuter). Between the two of us, we have four boys. It was so fun watching Ethan and her son Titus play together. They jumped on the trampoline, fought with swords, played basketball, drew, played with trains, and ate popsicles...and that was just in an hour. I can't wait to see the boys grow up together...and what trouble they'll get in together!

1st Farmer's Market of '09

We made it to our first Farmer's Market this season this past weekend. The weather couldn't have been better! We had a nice walk there, saw several friends, played at the park, and had a moment of silence for the closed coffee shop. Apart from the missing scones and coffee, it was a pretty perfect Saturday morning!

All Boy

We had play group at the park this past week. It was the one nice day in a week full of rain...a week full of rain that produced a lot of mud puddles. The majority of boys could have cared less about the slides and swings. They were all surrounding the mud puddle throwing rocks and sticks in it. Of course Ethan was in the mix. My first instinct was to try and distract him in hopes that he'd stay clean. But I kept hearing my dad's voice in my head telling me to "let boys be boys". So I said nothing. And Ethan proceeded to walk back and forth through the mud for about 30 minutes. The rest of the kids stayed at the edge of the puddle, but Ethan seemed to prefer standing in it. When it was time to go, I didn't even know where to start the cleaning up. Wipes did nothing. So I stripped him down, let the mud dry and we threw him the car in just a diaper. Apparently I need a summer "mud kit" in my car for next time b/c I know this won't be our last mud adventure!

Update on Owen: he's off the medication. It was nasty stuff that made him miserable. He cried more during the five days he was on it than he has in his entire life. I got him into the doctor that does OMT in Tulsa this past Friday, and she couldn't believe our other doc had him on meds. She did some manipulation on him, that should help, and gave me some other instructions (that I won't write about due to the embarrassment it might provide Owen when he's older). He's back to his happy self that has slept all night for the past 4 nights. Happy Mother's Day to me!

My Squatty Body Boy has Reflux!

We took Owen in for his 2 month check-up last week. Overall, he was very healthy and has doubled his birth weight! The nurse told me that he was in the 90th percentile in head size (not a huge surprise since he has Dodson in him...our heads run large...let the jokes begin), 75th in the weight, and 25th in height. Short and round. :) I'm sure his height will catch up eventually...right?! We also found out that he has reflux pretty badly. It wasn't a huge surprise with the way he was spitting up and eating was becoming uncomfortable. She has put him on medication for two months now, which makes me cringe. I just pray that he won't have any bad side affects and that the medication will help his tummy. It's pretty remarkable how happy he's been in spite of being in pain. He's pretty wonderful!

Hero

Every night when Chris gets home from work, he and Ethan go upstairs so Chris can change out of his work clothes. And so they can shoot a few hoops in Ethan's room. This particular night, Ethan decided Chris needed help picking out what to wear. He chose Chris' basketball jersey, a pair of basketball shorts and then he told Chris that he needed a jersey too. When they came downstairs, you could tell Ethan was thrilled to be dressed in his dad's clothes. It was pretty sweet...

Laughing

I was playing with the boys on the floor yesterday and noticed that every time Ethan laughed, Owen laughed back. I caught some of it on video. I don't know if you can hear Owen over Ethan talking or not b/c Ethan was trying to climb on me while taking the video!

Claire's 1st Birthday

We took our first overnight road trip as a family of 4 this weekend to Oklahoma for Claire's birthday party. Both boys did amazingly well in the car, and Owen even slept 7 hours straight on Friday night for me. (although I wasn't able to enjoy it b/c I kept waking up expecting him to want to eat...) It was fun spending time at Mimi and Papi's house, and we loved seeing Jack and Claire. Ethan got to see his friend, Maggie, too. He hugged her goodbye, but she was playing coy. It was a great weekend with family, but I think it may take a little bit to recover. Chris and I were exhausted when we got home. Who would have thought adding one more kid to the mix to take so much more out of you!

The Sand Box

Ethan had some friends over last week, and the sand box was a huge hit. At one point all six kids were in it at once. It was hilarious watching the different personalities manifest themselves while they were playing. Kellen sat in one place, happy as can be, playing with the sand. Sam put everything in sight in his mouth and seemed to enjoy the way everything tasted. Every time we turned around he'd have a stick or a blade of grass hanging out of his mouth. Drew and Ellie were all over the place exploring. And Ethan and Xander, being the older ones, seemed to enjoy arguing over toys and bossing the other guys around. This is going to be a fun summer....

Owen's Big Weekend

Owen turned 2 months old this past Sunday and was baptized. Big stuff! Mimi and Papi came to spend the weekend, so he was able to bond a little with them. He also got to meet his Uncle Josh and Aunt Caylee for the first time. (Caylee is a photographer, so I put down my camera when she's around...unfortunately that means no pictures of her!) Owen is starting to spend a little more time awake these days. Although he caught his big brother's cold last week and spent three days sleeping it off. When he is awake, he loves making noises, eating, being held, and watching his big brother. I am looking forward to seeing more of his little personality emerge...

My Guys

We're starting to get into a routine of things these days. I am finally remembering to brush my teeth on a regular basis, and we've even managed to get out of the house before 10 am a few times now. Ethan seems to enjoy being a big brother. His main goal is to get a laugh or smile out of Owen. His hugs seem more like body slams, but we're working on it. Owen has been a great baby. He's only waking up twice during the night, and we're hoping that moves to once here pretty soon. He's started smiling quite a bit and his little laughs are pretty darn cute.

Happy Easter!

And we're back!

It's hard to believe that Owen has been with us for a month now. It's all been a blur. We've been so blessed to have both grandmas come stay with us, friends bring us food, and Chris was able to take a week off of work. Now it's time to get back into a groove of things...and hopefully that means a little more time to blog.

Owen has been a wonderful little guy. Overall he sleeps really well, and he loves to eat. (you can tell by the chubby-ing of cheeks from the top left pic to the bottom right...a day old vs. one month) He only cries when he's hungry, and man, does that kid have a set of lungs. He's even managed to wake Chris up at night which is a pretty amazing feat. When he's actually awake, he really seems to soak up everything around him. With an older brother like Ethan, there is usually a lot to soak up...

(sorry the video is sideways again...I can't figure out a way to rotate it, and I forget that when taking the video with my camera)

This is Ethan singing "Amazing Grace" while standing on a platform in the downtown square. I missed the first line or so, but hopefully you can tell where it picks up. "...that saved a wretch like me..."

Ethan has handled the new "life change" pretty well. He loves trying to make Owen laugh - does it get much better than a captive audience?! He has had a couple nightmares/night-terrors that have kept us all up for over an hour in the middle of the night. After the second time, we took him to the doctor who said it was just his way of dealing with his world being out of whack. Poor guy. But we've had a good week w/o any issue, and I think we're on our way to being back to normal.

And, since I am bragging about my guys, I had to brag on my wonderful husband too. He's truly been amazing this past month. (not that he isn't normally amazing - it's just been a good reminder) Chris has cooked, cleaned, rocked Owen in the middle of the night, played non-stop with Ethan, taken care of me, and managed to make it to work every once and awhile too! Having another baby has been a good reminder of how much I need him around, and just how lucky I am to have such a servant-hearted hubby.

Surviving

Ethan seems to be doing pretty well adjusting to having a new little brother around. We've had our moments, but with the attention from grandparents and friends, he's making it. His Aunt Connie and Uncle Skip got him a harmonica for a gift (little did they know that harmonicas are his latest obsession - thanks to Stevie Wonder), so he's been a VERY happy guy. It's hilarious watching him walk around the house jamming out. Owen has been able to sleep through it all so far...

Owen Christopher

Little did we know how well Owen Christopher had things planned! He waited for us to get everything done we needed to, and decided to make his arrival Sunday morning. (the 22nd...just like Ethan's birth date) I started having contractions around 3:00 in the morning, and he entered the world a few short hours later at 7:14 weighing 6 lbs and 2 oz. He's been a great baby. Just like his brother, all he wants to do is eat and sleep. I hope that continues!

An interesting morning...

It looks like Owen is setting the stage for his very own kind of entrance into the world. I woke up at 2:30 this morning with mild contractions and couldn't go back to sleep. So, I ate, caught up on emails, did some wrapping up on some design work, and then tried to go back to bed. The contractions kept coming every ten minutes and were lasting ten minutes. I got Chris up around 3:30 to let him know, and he called our doula around 4:00 to see what she thought. Everything we've heard from her and our doctor was "the MINUTE" something happens, head to the hospital... But we only know how to deal with water breaking and intense pain, so we're not sure what any other "something" looks like! She told us to wait till they were a little more intense and somewhat closer together. By 6:00 they were a little more intense, so we called my parents to get them on the road. And then all contractions stopped around 7:30. I have had one since then...what in the world?!? We've been all geared up for another fast, out-of-the-blue delivery. My legs are shaved, toes painted, and my make-up is on - where's the kid?!

My parents are now here, which is really a relief knowing that I don't have to get someone to our house to watch Ethan when things really do happen. They brought some furniture we've been waiting on, so that's all set up and ready to go. And I have to remind myself that the longer Owen "cooks", the better it is for him. It's just so hard not being in control of the situation! Oh, how God likes to teach us things...

Hopefully there's more to report soon!

Ignorance is Bliss

On Monday after our doctors appointment, I was sure we were having a baby that night. Obviously, nothing has happened yet, so I am convinced that it's better to have no idea what's going on down there! He'll come when he's ready... We got the "Your Baby is 37 Weeks" email today - that's the same email we got two days before Ethan made his arrival. Could the boys be on the same time frame? Who knows...

How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.

Getting Very Close

We had our 37 week doctors appointment yesterday, and come to find out I have been having some contractions! (I never had any sort of pain/discomfort/warning with Ethan...my water broke and I was in full blown labor) I knew things were going on down there, and my doctor said he was pretty sure they were Braxton Hix contractions - till he checked me. I am dilated to a 4 and 85% effaced. Hello!!?! The doctor was pretty surprised how low his head was too (stage 1 as opposed to a negative 1 where he expected me). Now I feel justified for the millions of bathroom trips! Thankfully we've made it to week 37, so having a water birth is a feasible option. Our only fear is that we won't make it to the hospital in time to have the tub set up. Ethan's labor was barely over 5 hours, and the doctor is expecting this one to go faster. So, at the first sign of anything serious, we're supposed to head that way. Craziness.

Scary Boogers

We made an "almost trip" to the ER on Friday with Ethan this past weekend. For some reason, he woke up screaming at 10:30, and all the usual methods of consolation didn't work. He wanted to be held, then he didn't. He wanted to be tucked in, then he didn't. And the weirdest thing was that he kept asking me to get the boogers off of his fingers!! We turned the lights on to show him there were no boogers. We stripped him down to make sure there was no rash or bites. He had no fever or any other sick symptoms. We let him "cry it out" for awhile. When we asked him what was wrong all we got was "Boogers on fingers." Strange. Finally after an hour and a half of this, we put him in the car and headed for the hospital. And, naturally, he fell asleep almost immediately. So, we drove past the hospital and took a scenic night tour of Bentonville. I carried Ethan to his bed after the drive and he slept w/o making a peep till 8:30 the next morning. We still have no idea what was wrong with him. I really hope this isn't God's funny way of preparing us for a colicky baby...

New favorites...

I'm not sure why I even bother buying toys for Ethan sometimes. It seems like it ends up being the most common/random objects that he could play with for hours. His new favorite thing is a step stool that we keep in the laundry room. His new found height has enabled him to reach things on the counter that he's never seen before, and he thought he could get the front door unlocked with it the other day. It's getting a little scary the new things he's trying...
Another new "favorite" is the desk his Pa Pa brought him. It used to be Chris' when he was little (I think), and Ethan has LOVED sitting at it to draw, play with play dough and eat. He requests to eat every meal there, but I get a little lonely at the table so I make him sit with me sometimes.

Ethan's Second Birthday Party

Mimi and Papi came up this past Saturday to kick off Ethan's 2nd birthday party. Papi built Ethan a big sandbox for our back yard, and he had Ethan help him put it together. Ethan loved carrying around Papi's tools and banging on stuff.

Later that afternoon, we had a few friends from church and family members over for cupcakes and a basketball pinata (unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that). Ethan's Grandma Debbie got him a tent full of balls which was a huge hit with all the kids.

My brother's family stayed that night with us. Jack and Ethan enjoyed practicing for their future rock band, bonding over juice boxes, and breaking in Owen's bed with some jumping. It really was a perfect weekend!

AMAZING Baby Books...

Okay, I have to put a plug in for my friend Kobie's AMAZING baby books that she's designed. I looked all over for a cool baby book for Ethan and couldn't find anything anywhere. I cannot wait to get one started for Owen...

"Sorry Mimi, I am a Sooner."

Yes, those are the words that came out of my son's mouth last week when Mimi was here visiting. We had the OSU basketball game on, and my mom asked Ethan if he was a Cowboy. Very seriously, and completely unprompted, he responded with those words. My mom and I didn't know if we should laugh or cry... I guess I'll give brain washing my second son a try, because obviously Ethan has gone over to the other side.

Miss Maymi

Ethan loves Miss Maymi (Amy), and this is one of the reasons why...she'll wear his OSU hat. The hat fit on her head before we started taking the picture, but it kind of popped off by the time the flash went off. It makes me laugh. Sorry, Amy, I had to post it!

A Big Help.

For those of you who know how not prepared we were when Ethan made his early arrival two years ago, you'll be super impressed with how prepared we are this time around. We've gotten all of Ethan's baby clothes washed, sorted and either hung up or folded. The crib is ready...nursery done (other than finishing the glider)...diapers purchased... Now all we need is a baby. Of course Owen will probably go past his due date.

Anyway, Ethan has been a big help getting everything ready. He's loved going through all his old hats and shoes and trying them on. He played in a tub of baby socks for 15 minutes straight. And his old Halloween costume provided a lot of entertainment too. The only problem is when I try to explain why we're putting all of the things in Owen's room, he melts down with a string of "mine"s. Lovely. It's going to be quite an adjustment for us all with a new little person around!

Funny.

It's pretty entertaining what people feel like they can say to a pregnant woman, that they probably wouldn't ever say otherwise (or at least I hope). Today I was asked how much longer I had till I was due. When I said March, the response was: "Wow. By looking at you, I would have guessed any day." Really? After I recovered from the laughter, I tried to let the well-meaning man (who is married with children) know that that's not something a pregnant lady wants to hear! That got me thinking about some of the better comments I heard over my two pregnancies...

"You look fluffy." (yes, fluffy)
"You're really starting to gain weight in the hips."
"I could have sworn you were having a girl b/c you're carrying it so widely."
"It's okay you're showing early - your stomach muscles are shot from your last baby."

Ah, the entertainment.

Two

I can't believe my little guy is TWO years old! It's truly amazing how much Ethan has grown and changed in just two short years. We've been watching some old video of him as an infant...then learning to walk, crawl, eat, talk, and develop his own little personality. I have loved watching him become passionate about balls, goals, drawing, and guitars. He seems to thrive being around other people (and of course performing for them). And his sensitive spirit to others makes me smile and worry all at the same time - I am not going to handle him getting his feelings hurt very well! My favorite things that he's doing right now are his random out bursts in dance and singing, his unexpected hugs, and his sweet voice saying "HOLDEE (hold me), MOMMA!". The thought of loving another little guy as much as I do him boggles my mind. I know it will happen, but I sure am nuts about my first born!

Stuffed Animals

Oh, how I love this age! (I think I say that a lot...) Ethan's imagination is really taking off, and it's been a blast to watch. He's really started to play with his stuffed animals. It started with Jenny, my dog that I had when I was his age. He's put his OU jersey on her and tucks her in at night "snug bug" (aka "snug as a bug in a rug"). I caught him the other day throwing her down the stairs and then asking her if she was okay. Luckily she was. Last week he started changing his animal's diapers (this could come in handy with a baby on the way...), and this morning he lined his animals up on his bed and told them to watch him play basketball. They're a great captive audience!

And we're back!

I finally broke down and bought a camera last week. We still haven't found our other camera with all our Christmas pictures on it...so very sad. But it was great having a camera to document our trip to Mulberry for Alyssa's birthday party.
We were able to spend Saturday afternoon with Grandma Debbie and Nanny. I am not sure who got a bigger work out - Ethan or Grandma - that afternoon. They chased each other in circles, played air guitar and tickled each other a lot. Ethan crashed that night with out a sound.
Ethan also got some serious bonding time with Uncle Greg. Once Ethan decided that he wasn't that scary, he talked Greg into helping him do numerous pull ups, and they took turns flipping each other over. (that's what Ethan is doing on his back) Uncle Greg also took him on a walk to see the horses, which was a big hit. Sunday started bright and early with Ethan waking up at 5:45. His first words were "Papa" and "ball". Pretty standard. That afternoon was spent celebrating Alyssa's 10th birthday. Ethan was sure to be a big help with opening her gifts up and helping her eat her cookie cake. He also enjoyed chasing Adam around the house (I didn't manage to get a picture of Adam being stationary...). And I think the highlight of the day was family Rock Band time, where Alex let Ethan help him play the drums. Ethan crashed within 5 minutes of being in the car on our way home...

Just like Dad

I still can't find my camera, but this is one of the pictures that I had already gotten off my camera before Christmas.

Ethan adores Chris and that adoration has translated into a love for anything OU. (that's the only logical explanation, right?!) Chris wore his OU shirt and stocking cap to run in one day. Ethan promptly went to his room, got his OU shirt and hat to match. I never thought that I would think my child wearing OU garb was cute, but I have been wrong before...

Lost

I have lost my camera...the camera with all of our Christmas pictures on it. I hardly know how to blog without pictures to post. I am pretty sure we made it to the car with it on our way back home, but I can't figure out where it went from there. Sorry grandparents! Hopefully I will find it soon!

Christmas Parade

We went to the Downtown Bentonville Christmas parade a few weeks ago with Ethan's friends, Xander and Chaucer. Ethan enjoyed watching all the people walk by. He enjoyed the candy they threw at him even more. He didn't end up falling asleep for a nap that day thanks to all that candy...

An Empty Nursery

(this picture has nothing to do with this entry - I just thought it was funny)

Last night Ethan slept in his new room complete with a "big boy" bed. We'd tried naps a few times in there this past week, but I think the new place was too exciting and he never actually made it to sleep. So, we decided to move him in there for the night so maybe he'd realize you could sleep in there. He did great - till 5:30 this morning. I think he woke up, saw all the sports balls on the wall, and was ready to get his day started. I am now second guessing my sports theme decorating idea... It was a little bitter sweet when I walked by the empty nursery. I know it's not going to be empty for long, but it's crazy how milestones just seem to keep flying by.

"Potty Training"

For the past month or so, Ethan has been asking to go potty almost once a day. I certainly wasn't expecting him to be ready to potty train so early. The way we even realized he was ready was pretty funny...we had a family friend over that took Ethan potty after Ethan asked him to. He didn't realize that Ethan had never actually gone potty! So, finally after our trip to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, and he had gone several times a day, I decided it was time to officially start the process. We got him a cool toilet seat and I was getting ready to make the purchase of "big boy underwear". Two weeks ago was our first day of training...and he has yet to go in the toilet since then. Seriously. I should have known that as soon as I decided it was time, he'd change his mind! So much for the dream of only one kid in diapers.

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family this year in Oklahoma. Ethan had a blast with his cousins, grandparents, and uncles/aunts. So much so, that it took several days of being back home to reprogram him to be used to playing by himself! Uncle Jon took the boys on a "tractor" ride, which Ethan is still talking about. And Jack and Ethan really seemed to enjoy playing with each other - especially jumping in the crib and playing with the noise maker Ethan sleeps with. Who needs toys?! Claire is growing like crazy and is scooting all over the place. (the picture of Ethan, Jack and the bear crack me up...my son wakes up about like I do...not quickly...)
One of the perks of Mimi's and Papi's is the basketball goal Papi lower for Ethan. Every moment that we'd let him, he was outside "shooting". Of course a little help from Papi always made it better.Ethan did a great job on the car ride both ways. We brought a whole box of books for him to read and between that, drawing and sunglasses, he was a happy camper.

Buddies

We're really blessed to have a group of buddies to play with. With 6 boys and one little girl, it's pretty crazy when we all get together. Right now it seems like there are light years of difference between the oldest and the youngest member of the group, but we realized last time we were all together that in about 3 years it won't make any difference at all. I think all the moms are looking forward to the years ahead when we can send the whole group outside to play and we can actually carry on a whole conversation. We're going to get there eventually, right?!?!