Summer Catch-Up..Here we go...

It seems so long since I've posted an update, and the further away the last post gets, the more I dread getting things caught up!

The last few months have been a wild ride. It of course all seemed to start with that pesky house fire that had our little family of three living in an even smaller hotel room for exactly two months. We of course have many blessings to count from the situation, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a huge thorn in the side! During this time we also had two weeks where all three of us were on antibiotics, and we had two visits to the ER (one for Daddy, one for Ethan). It's amazing what "living in public" can do to your immune system! Ethan had an ear infection, Charlie had Walking Pneumonia, and I had Bronchitis. It was during this time that we found out that Ethan is allergic to Amoxicillin (hence the middle of the night ER visit for his horrible itchy rash!) Definitely a point in time that I want to document, and then forget!

Now three months later, one month after being home, we're finally catching up on life.

We tried to make the most of our summer. We kept our weekends and Ethan busy, mostly doing "touristy" things in the local area. The summer, complete with an earthquake and nasty tropical storms/hurricanes, seemed to slip away from our grasps before we knew it.

Somewhere in there, Ethan also got his first haircut!!

And of course there is VACATION!! We were lucky to have a week vacation in the Outer Banks planned for September with my parents and Paul and Bobbie. It was a well needed (and deserved!) break. Ethan had a blast a the beach. He loved looking at the water and spent hours collecting shells. He's a fantastic shell collector, and we brought home a bunch of treasures including a sand dollar and a horseshoe crab shell! 

Ethan is now displaying his shells proudly in a hurricane vase in the living room. Ethan always really enjoyed splashing in the puddles in the sand. He definitely liked that better than sitting in the waves. Fun in the waves was hit or miss. 

We did other things while we were there too like climbing a lighthouse, petting a mustang, visiting the aquarium and the children's museum. And as is with any vacation, we ate!

Since we've been home from vacation, I think the highlight of Ethan's fall has been our trip to Dutch Wonderland. Our little daredevil loved riding all by himself, and he especially loved riding The Whip!!! 

So that brings us to now...with a toddler who is getting bigger and smarter by the minute! But now that we're "caught up," that's for the next post!

Ethan is ONE!

Ethan is ONE YEAR OLD! I can't believe it!!!

So what's it like to be a 1 yr old Ethan?

Ethan....

• loves (and needs) to be busy-all-the-time! 
• enjoys swimming and splashing in the water- swimming pool, baby pool, tub, or other!
• likes his animals (especially monkeys) and makes some animals sounds "ooo-ooo-ooo" "moooooo"
• loves to play "chase" and "peek"
• can't get enough of checking himself out in the mirror
• is referring to everything as THAT (except Cheerios- those are "Oh oh oh oh oh")
• loves cars and trucks
• likes to look though anything with a hole in it!
• enjoys fingerpainting!!!
• is a sorter--he likes to put things in containers and sometimes sorts them by type
• goes to The Little Gym every Saturday morning to play and tumble-his favorite is jumping on the vault springboard and playing bubbles
• is obsessed with climbing the stairs and can climb into the bathtub
• really just likes to climb anything he can!
• is starting to walk
• is very into drinking water, especially out of a grown up water bottle
• loves playing with his friends at school, especially Michael
• really likes yogurt fruit drops, crackers, and cookies
• loves his sandals. He wants to wear them all the time. They make him brave.
• likes to look at books and read together
• likes to play music and make noise (especially maracas)
• really enjoys being upside down.
• likes to watch Sesame Street before bed
• wants attention from everyone when we're out in public
• really enjoys swinging
• has a lot of determination
• wants to be like the big kids
• likes to be silly
• loves loves to be outside. Especially when the wind blows in his hair.

Welcome Summer!!

Time to dust the cobwebs off the old blog and get out an update! It's been a crazy ride....This is post that I started 6/27 and never finished. I'm going to post it as is and catch up on the "here and now" soon!

Ethan underwent a battery of tests, including an upper GI scan for his tummy problems. It was determined that he's having acid reflux, and the medication seems to be helping a lot! Back to less sick baby and a u-turn on his growth chart. He also got himself a nasty virus that had us at the ER once again at 2am. It was a rough few days, but together we moved though it.

I'm forever in awe of how much Ethan understands and does. His vocabulary is so large. The list of items that he can identify is very long. He can also say quite a few words. Of course, duck! His favorite right now is "That" (coupled with pointing). He spends a lot of time trying to communicate, and does a pretty good job of it!

We need to keep the little guy busy all the time. He's so incredibly active, it can be quite the challenge some days! We try to get to the pool now and then, or throw a kiddie pool on the back porch. We took a return trip to Port Discovery in Baltimore a few weekends ago (how fun to see how the exhibits have changed for him!). We're also taking gym classes at The Little Gym on Saturday mornings. He gets to play on all the gymnastics equipment, play and be active. It's a great activity for Ethan who loves to play with other kids (especially his friend from school, Michael!)

Ya ya ya, Da da da

The other day I told Ethan that I wish that he could talk because "he always has so much to say." As of late, Ethan is chatty, chatty, chatty.  He makes "sound effects" when he plays, and squeals with delight. He's started signing "change" when he's getting his diaper changed (assuming he's in the mood!). I declare his first "official" word to be Duck. In my book, the word has to be said in association to it's meaning or it doesn't count (sorry Dada!). Regardless, all his baby noises are really entertaining!

Easter
I'm pretty sure Ethan enjoyed his first Easter. The bunny was very gracious to him this year!
Also, he found all but one of his hidden Easter eggs! He like playing with them, and thought it was funny when they showed up with some of his favorite toys.

Making a Splash
We're down to only two more swim lessons left! I can't believe it!! Ethan really enjoys the time in the pool, especially the splashing!

"Baby Mania"
This last weekend we started "Baby Mania"--a story, song, and play time at the library. It was so nice to have somewhere for Ethan to go play on a Saturday morning. After it was over, we continued playing with some of the toys and books in the library's children's area. Life goes much smoother when Ethan is kept happily busy! What a great start to our weekend!

I'm pretty sure this toy was MADE for Ethan!

Did you say turtle?
At a trip to the Wetlands Festival at Wildwood Nature Center in Harrisburg, Ethan adopted a turtle. Researchers are studying turtles in the area, and turtles were up for adoption. We got to pick our turtle, who is tagged with a computer chip. Ethan wasn't real sure of the turtle at first, but was definitely interested. After he was all registered, we walked our turtle down to the water's edge and released him. :) We also got out and enjoyed some of the trails and birdwatching opportunities.

Oh, and did I mention that 2 teeth are quickly becoming 6? Yup, Ethan has FOUR teeth coming in on top!!

And now--off to more adventures!!! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Look out world! I'm on the move!!

My absolute favorite photo of Ethan at the moment. It captures him perfectly!

March ended with a fantastic trip for three to Baltimore's Inner harbor. It was Ethan's first "vacation," where we spent the night out of town in a hotel (just one night this time!) Although the trip was for our wedding anniversary, the weekend was geared towards Ethan and fulfilled his new found crawling habit. We visited the baby rooms at the Maryland Science Center and Port Discovery where Ethan could let loose and play in some well crafted baby play areas. Can you tell that Ethan enjoyed himself?!?

Smile popping off Ethan's face!

Since then, things have been a little less exciting as once again we've been trying to recover from a pesky stomach bug. It's been quite the ride....

A wet baby in his adorable frog suit--reminds me of frog Mario....

Ethan recently started baby swim lessons. We've had two so far. Week one, my curious Ethan decided to find out what happens when you shove your face into the water when you're supposed to be blowing bubbles! He had fun, but was a little intimidated by the water. Week two-Ethan falls in love with the pool. He had such a great time slapping the surface of the water with all his might. He also worked on reaching across the water to grab his rubber ducky. Lots of fun! Oh- and licking the water...that's fun too!

I've been keeping busy trying to find baby appropriate activities for us to fill our summer. Gotta keep this busy little boy--well, busy!! It's been a bit of a challenge. So far we're signed up for a few events at the library and have joined The Little Gym and signed up for classes. The gym is going to be perfect for Ethan. Last week at daycare he climbed to the top of a soft play mat structure, looked at his teacher, and jumped off. He looked at her proudly when he reached the floor. He loves climbing on the mats so much. Yesterday his teacher set a box at the top of the little mat stairs. In the meantime, Ethan crawled over and started crying because he owns the mat, and his stairs were blocked! Also, when you hold him, he is constantly trying to climb. Recently, I quickly found myself holding Ethan as he stood on my shoulders. I'm still not quite sure how he got there. Long story short, he's going to have a great summer!

Ethan and his Uncle Keith bond over their matching O's hats

Otherwise, most of our time is spent chasing our little man speed around the house. Although he's usually pretty good at entertaining himself, much of that entertainment includes pulling up (and down) on tables and otherwise getting himself into baby mischief. Every few minutes he pauses and claps--so proud of his new clapping skills. :) He says da-da-da all the time. I'm working with him to say "duck." I think he's almost there...Daddy says I'm crazy. And of course, we're still crafting....!!!

March- In like a baby, out like a teenager

March goes in like a lion, and out like a lamb. Or for a certain 7 month old, March goes in like a baby and out like a teenager!

The biggest news on the scene is Ethan crawling. On March 16th, Ethan made strides by taking a small backwards crawl. On March 21st he could make a few moves forward. On March 22nd, he was speeding across the living room. Besides the fact that it absolutely wears him out, he has this new sense of calm about him. His frustrations are gone. And best of all--he doesn't have to practice all night long! Luckily, I've seen this milestone on the horizon, and have been scrambling to do some baby-proofing (including cleaning up and getting rid of JUNK!) and we're good to go for the time being!

What else is going on?

Well...

• We went straight from crawling to crawling to objects where we can pull up to standing.
• Ethan started using an infant toothbrush and toothpaste for his new pearly whites (no more washcloth brushing for Ethan!) He thinks it's funny cause we make noises while we brush...not to mention, he likes the flavor! Here's to good habits!
• Thanks to some extra remotes that his grandmother had given us, Ethan FINALLY has that remote control he's coveted for so long. He's ecstatic!
• We went to the park during a fluke of warm spring weather last weekend. Ethan got to play on the slide and swing. I'm pretty sure it was the most fun he's had in is whole life!!
• Ethan not only thinks dogs are funny, but so are cat's! He met my co-workers 9 month old kitten this weekend and thought she was the funniest thing. Even let her touch her nose against his!
• Last week Ethan started waving. At first this special talent was reserved only for the monkeys on his wall at bedtime, but now he more often waves when we say "hi" or "bye." The best waves, however, are still reserved for the monkeys.
• Ethan's working on clapping. He's been working on clapping with his teacher at school. You have to be lucky to see it, but I finally got a glimpse today!
• We're having as much fun as ever. I have soooo much new content for my blog Crafting Play. (yup, shameless plug--but we've all got to start somewhere!!)

At the top of the slide. "Here I come Daddy!!"

Doesn't he just look the cutest in that green?!! (Too bad you can't see the froggy eyes on the hood!)

I'm sure I'm missing some things, but that's the great thing about the "internets"--I'll just add them later! :)

Shark attack!

The two bottom front teeth have finally cut, and all of a sudden we have our baby back (plus two tiny pearly white nubs)!

Remember this commercial?

SHARK, SHARK, SHARK ATTACK! This shark is like a MANIAC. I told Ethan this morning that with his new teeth, he's a little shark. I promptly started singing the song to him, and realized that it fit! We call Ethan a maniac all the time! (you'd understand if you've ever seen his high energy climbing and playing--cue the music: "he's a maniac, maniac, on the floor....") But a darn adorable maniac shark at that!!

More fun moments?

Ethan tried to give his monkey (his BFF) his pacifier!! Put it right up to his mouth and everything.

We say goodnight to Ethan's monkeys on his wall every night. I've been showing him how to wave "bye bye" at them, and last night he did it, on cue, all by himself. :) He also waved bye-bye to his teacher today!

Ethan is pretty sure he should be able to stand by himself. He lets go of your hands, and pushes you off if you hold his waist. Slow down, you move too fast!!

Ethan has decided he LOVES lemons (and limes). Here he is chowing down all by himself!




More to come.....