A Ducky Dilemma

Mom was so excited to have Ethan be a duck for Halloween . . . .so I ordered this costume on e-bay. When I first got it I was ticked because it had been advertised as a duck but is obviously a chick! I had been duped! Plus, it was supposed to have a cute duck tail - which it didn't have. What a disappointment. Anyway, daddy and I decided it was cute anyway, so we tried it on Ethan. . . . and it is WAY too small!!!! It's a size 18-24 months!!! So I figured we'd take this quick picture (because it is pretty adorable!) and now we are looking for a home for the chick costume. Any takers??
Earlier today, mom's friend Denise came to visit. We hadn't seen her in a long time so it was fun to catch up. Grandma Mary happened to be around, so she watched Ethan while Denise and mom went out for lunch. So good to connect with a great friend!

Daddy Day!

Daddy took the day off of work today to hang out with Ethan while mom went to work. It looks like Ethan is becoming interested in daddy's guitar! I think we'll have another musician in the family!
Look at the little squirt crawling around!

Back to School . . .

It was mama's first day back at school officially, even though I have been working in my room for awhile now. Grandma came over to watch Ethan and it sounds like they had a great day together!
After mom got home from work, Cousins Oliver and Ben and Aunt Jenny stopped by. Oliver wanted to keep kissing Ethan! He is just so full of love :)
Ben wanted his mom to read a book to him! He is such a good big cousin!
Oliver showed Ethan how he can walk now! What a big boy!

Shoe Shopping!

Mom and Grandma Mary had gone back to school shopping a few days ago, and found some great shoes! Apparently, Ethan is showing interest in mom's great fashion sense. . .or does he just like to chew on the bag and make it "crinkle"?
Notice the perpetually runny nose! I can't seem to keep up with that! Caring for a 7 month old is definitely different from when he was an infant. He is constantly on the go, noisy, curious, and messy! This picture was taken after supper - he had to be stripped down after eating his graham cracker, and then was being so loud at the supper table, mom and dad decided that in order to enjoy our meal we'd just let him crawl around in his diaper. Hey- these days, whatever keeps him happy and quiet is fine with us!

It is precious time when he will sit still for stories (which he LOVES) and when he will cuddle up to mom or dad while being rocked to sleep or eating his bottle. We love those cozy moments, but we also love to watch him grow, develop, and learn! It is so fun to be parents.

Festival in the Pines

Mom, dad and Ethan had a fun day together today! We went for a long walk, we all took a nice afternoon nap, and then we went to Festival in the Pines. Ethan got to pet some little goats at the petting zoo which was very fun!

It's Not Easy Being 7 Months Old!

There is so much for babies to learn! Today, Ethan tried again with feeding himself a teething biscuit and it went really well! As you can see, we went outside for a little picnic and Ethan LOVED his biscuit. It was EVERYWHERE!
I hear lots of comments about how happy Ethan is, and that he is always smiling and happy. I am not disagreeing - we have definitely been blessed with a very healthy and happy little guy. However, I do feel the need to show the following picture so you know he is not a complete angel ALL the time . . . .
This was frustration with the sippy cup setting in. After this pic was taken, mom decided that to help him along, she would take the valve out of the cup. Of course he ended up getting soaking wet, but boy, did he love drinking water from his cup like a big boy!

Seven Months Old!

Ethan turned 7 months yesterday! To celebrate, of course we did a photo shoot!
We are finding out that 7 months is a very fun age, full of new things - like crawling, eating finger foods, and getting teeth. Our little guy is definitely keeping us on our toes- and we love it!

On the Go

Ethan had a busy day today. First, he spent time with Grandma Mary, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Jenny, and Cousins Ben and Oliver while mom worked at school this morning. Then, mom's friend Brad stopped over while he was on his bike ride and played with Ethan. After Ethan's nap, we went to check out daddy's new store. The music store where daddy works has been undergoing renovations, so we were curious to see how it has shaped up. Daddy's friends at work loved seeing Ethan, and he talked their ears off! Then mom, dad, and Ethan decided to go to Panera for supper. Truth be told, the outing was more stressful than fun since Ethan whined throughout supper. Mom was very worried about what the other patrons were thinking, because even though we think everything Ethan does is adorable, I'm pretty sure everyone at Panera would not agree that a whining baby is enjoyable. Anyway, Ethan was very worn out and went to bed when we got home. Whew . . . What a busy day!

A New Perspective . . .

Although Ethan woke up feeling very sick and cranky early this morning, he now seems to be back to his old self, other than the continuously runny nose.

Mom is realizing that she has precious few days left to be a "stay at home mom" for the summer and just hang out and play with Ethan as much as she wants to. This morning Ethan was having a great time in his exersaucer! He LOVES to play in there.

Apparently, now that he is mobile and very curious about everything, he decided to get a different perspective on his favorite toy . . . .
He crawled in and sat down all by himself, while mom was eating her cereal this morning. What a little stinker!!! Could he be more lovable???

Not Feeling Well . . .

Ethan spent the day with Grandma Mary today while mom went to work at school. He has been suffering from a bad runny nose and cold. He did have a fun time with grandma, though, between naps and doses of Tylenol. Mom isn't quite up to par either - suffering from a horrible headache, she went to bed at 6:00 tonight, and put daddy in charge. Yikes - if spending the day working on a web page and putting up a couple bulletin boards at school knocked mom out like this, I'm nervous to see what spending each and every day with 17 high energy 3rd graders will do! I think bed time will have to be 6 pm every night!

A Rainy Day

Not much to do today, so Ethan thought he would practice feeding himself.
Can I get you another spoon, Ethan?
Oh Good - All Clean!

Future Packer...

...or so thought Max McGee, former Green Bay player and radio analyst!! Max was in town for a Junior Achievement fundraiser, so Daddy took Ethan to meet the Packer legend. In the photo, Ethan actually has a firm grab of Max's right ear, which prompted Max to say to Daddy, "He'll make a fine pass receiver some day, with hands like that! Wow, what a big guy!"
Daddy was very proud, of course. Ethan and Dad spent the rest of the rainy day going over football plays, especially focusing on "crawl blocking" techniques.

Out Visiting

Ethan and mom went to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa today. First we stopped by school to see mom's classroom. Mom is excited to be making the transition from Middle School Guidance to 3rd Grade Teacher. School starts in a just a couple weeks!

Ethan had fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house - Grandpa Glenn brought in a brand new kitten that was born in their garage. Mom showed it to Ethan and he just grabbed it and tried to put it in his mouth! YIKES. It was really hard to pry it out of his little fists - hopefully the poor kitten hasn't suffered any permanent damage! Ethan enjoyed crawling around G and G's house with a rubber ducky in his mouth. It was really funny - he looked like a little hunting dog :)! He also had a fun time playing "drums" on the table with grandpa. Grandpa would tap and Ethan would try to imitate him!

Oops - grandma closed her eyes for the pictures! Also, I totally think Ethan looks like Trav in this pic - anyone going to change their vote??? :)

On The Move!

I just couldn't resist posting this video. I think it is so funny how he works so hard!

A Super-Duper Fun Day!

Cousin Lauren came to hang out with Ethan and mom today. He was really a joy to have around! He played so well with Ethan, made him laugh, played hide and seek, and worked on his crawling skills with him. Ethan LOVES his big cousin!

Ethan, mom and Lauren met Aunt Jenny and Cousins Ben and Oliver for pizza and a trip to the Children's museum. It was so much fun! There was something there for everyone . . .

Lauren climbed up in a big building . . .


Ethan had a great time chillin' in the baby pond . . .


Oliver went for a cruise . . .


And Ben explored the human body by entering through the mouth!


Spending time with family today really made mom realize how lucky we are to have so many great people in our lives!! Ethan is so excited to grow up close to his cousins.

Lunch with Debbie

Argh! Mom forgot her camera today for our big outing!! Ethan and mom went to Woodbury to meet Debbie for lunch and it was very fun! It was so fun to catch up with Debbie and she even joined us for a trip to Babies R Us! Ethan was such a good boy and even let mom do some more shopping after Debbie departed. He was content to sit on the floor and play while mom looked at fall/winter clothes for him. Tonight was an early bed time because he was exhausted from the exciting day.

Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Les came over tonight for supper, and to see Ethan of course! Mom and dad forgot to put the memory card in the camera, so our pictures from the evening will not appear on the blog. However, we all had a great time and Ethan had fun showing grandma and grandpa how he can move around on the rug and scoot his way all the way over to the coffee table!

Our Little Alligator

Ethan's first tooth has finally broken through! It's so crazy to feel it in his soft, gummy mouth - such a sharp little point. Mom and dad like to say it feels like an alligator tooth! It especially feels sharp when he bites down on mom's finger! I can't imagine how painful it is to cut teeth, but it can't be fun . . .

Ethan's New Friend

Ethan met mom's friend, Susan for the first time today! She came over to visit from the cities. Ethan was a wonderful host and entertained her by pooping all over, including on mom's shirt! It was great for mom to catch up with her friend who taught 6th grade the first year I was a counselor. Susan was, and is, a wonderful teacher and I have really missed her!

Learning to Crawl

I realize this video is kind of lame, but I just happened to take it with my camera this afternoon at the lake and thought I would test out putting video on the blog. If it works, I will try to post more interesting videos from now on :)

On the Lake

Mom, Dad, and Ethan met Grandma Mary and Grandpa Mike up at the lake today for a pontoon ride and a picnic. Ethan still really hates his life jacket (can you blame him? It's like he's in a straight jacket!) This picture is deceiving because although he looks like he is smiling, Ethan is actually throwing a fit about the life jacket. Take note of grandpa chillin' in the background :)

"Meet the Twins" Party!

Mom and Ethan went to a "Meet the Twins" party at Isaac and Lily's house yesterday. Here is a picture of mom with her friends and their babies. Kyra and Jane H. are holding Isaac and Lily and Jane M. has her little girl, Maria. Jennifer and her baby, Miriam, had left, and Ethan was napping while this pic was taken - in fact he napped through most of the festivities, which was fine with mom! While Ethan was awake, he had lots of fun because there were 4 other babies and 1 little 2 year old boy to play with! Here is Ethan hanging out with his buddy, Auntie Kyra.
She really knows how to make him laugh!

Aunt Rose

Ethan spent the morning with Aunt Rose while mom worked in her classroom. Before Rose was available, though, Ethan got to come and see mom's classroom and had two little girls walk him around the school in his stroller to try to get him to sleep (no luck). Aunt Rose took him for a walk to the nursing home where she works and showed him off. He had fun playing with their dogs, Cloud and Bailey.

Reading with Grandma

Grandma Mary and Cousin Victor stopped by for a visit this morning. Ethan had to show them all of his favorite books and grandma had fun reading to the two boys. This is one of Ethan's favorite stories - "Peek-a-Boo Baby."

Back to Daycare

Ethan was reunited with his Daycare Provider, Candace, this morning as mom went to school to work in her new classroom. Things went well for him and he had fun playing with her. He got some special 1-1 attention, as her kids were all gone for the day. Ethan and mom also had lunch with Brad and JB which is always a super good time! I was a little embarrassed showing off Ethan because when I fed him he had gotten oatmeal in his eyelashes! That takes talent! And I couldn't get it out, so he looked a bit tough . . . Oh well, he is a typical little boy getting into EVERYTHING!

Grandma and Candy

Grandma Mary and Grandpa Mike are hosting a student, Candy, from Hong Kong. She has been going to the University here in town for the year, and she hangs out with grandma and grandpa during breaks, etc. This evening they stopped by the house for a quick visit with Ethan. When Candy held him, he really wanted to eat her necklace and earrings. She will be heading out for a vacation to Las Vegas and California this weekend - Lucky girl!

Ducklings Love

One of Ethan's 6 month pictures from Sears . . .
Ethan has become very interested in books lately. His favorite right now is "Ducklings Love." Mom snatched it out of Grandma Mary's Garage from a box of leftover supplies from her office at school. Ethan just LOVES this book. As soon as mom or dad get it out to read it he starts giggling and laughs through the whole thing. It is super cute. The book is about things that ducklings love, like walking in a line and eating bread crumbs. We went to the library this evening to search for more duck books - we'll see if any others can measure up! He also loves his rubber duckies at bath time, so maybe it's a general love for ducks. . . .very fun!

Family Picnic

Ethan, mom, dad, and Grandma Mary made the journey down to Milwaukee in the new mini van for a family picnic with Grandma Mary's side of the family. It was very fun! Here is a picture of Great Grandma Betty and Great Grandpa Bob making their entrance!
Ethan got to hang out with his cousin, Leah. They are only a few days apart in age. They are so cute together!
Here is Auntie Lizzy playing with Ethan. Mom, dad, and Ethan stayed with Liz and Mike Sat. night in Waukesha. We had lots of fun with them!
Do you like my new hair-do?
Here is Ethan playing with Great Grandpa and Grandma. He stole Grandpa's hat!

An Avid Reader

Ethan is entertaining himself reading "Where's Elmo?" from Auntie Mimi!

Peas and Carrots . . .

"MOM, I CAN DO IT MYSELF!!!"

"Have I mentioned how much I truly enjoy dining on your homemade peas and carrots? They are delicious!"

A Day with Grant

Mom and Ethan went to visit Mom's friend Katherine and her son, Grant, and dog, Greta. This was one of few experiences Ethan has had with a dog, and he seemed to enjoy it!
Here is Katherine with Grant and Ethan. Are they two cuties or what?? Someone at the zoo even asked if they are twins! (?) It was great to catch up with Katherine, and Grant was such a good buddy to Ethan! He shared his toys and gave him a big hug.
Unfortunately, mom was not on the ball with her camera at the zoo and didn't get any shots of the animals. This is partly due to the fact that we stayed inside the whole time since it was so hot! Ethan loved looking at the monkeys, fish, and birds. Grant, who is 17 months, probably enjoyed it more, and could even name some of the animals and the sounds they make!
We've been bathing Ethan in the kitchen sink lately because it is so beastly hot upstairs in our bathroom. He fits perfectly in there! Since we don't have any rubber duckies downstairs, mom improvised and gave him a bowl and cup . . . . Just as much fun!