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.