Time to Update!

I know, I know, I need to get blogging again, and I will....but between the holidays and then starting home daycare, I don't have a lot of free time anymore. But, things are getting a bit more organized around here, so I'll get posting soon. Like, today....or tomorrow...

Christmas is Here!

Christmas is actually here. I've had my tree up since the middle of November because Chris' parents were here and we were going to celebrate Christmas with them (we didn't end up opening presents due to some stubborn men *not mentioning any names though...*) but since the house has been decorated forever, it feels like it's been Christmas for a long time already.

But yesterday my Uncle Dave, Aunt Janelle and cousins arrived from Calgary and NOW it feels like Christmas. At my grandpa's house, the big long table is set up with the green and red table cloths, the tree is decorated, the table is covered with chocolates and homemade goodies, and I spent this afternoon cookie cutting with my little cousin Katie (5). She really loved it and it made me remember how much I loved doing that when I was little. I hope it's a fond memory of hers as she gets older. It was also SO great to see Ethan with my family. Dawson and Katie (5 and 7) LOVE him and spent a lot of time entertaining him. It was so cute and they all had so much fun. It made me excited to have more kids.

I was there from 4:00 until 7:00 and the majority of the time, Ethan was sitting on someone's lap being entertained. It's amazing how much pride you can feel for a baby who doesn't even have any great accomplishments. I'm just so proud of who he is. I love it that he loves smiling and interacting with everyone and that he makes everyone around him so happy.

Well, our lives are about to get crazy, but hopefully I'll have some time to post some pictures from Christmas. If I don't get to say it on the day, I hope you have a great Christmas, filled with true joy and lots of love. I also hope you'll remember the amazing gift that God gave us and feel humbled by His love.

*** MERRY CHRISTMAS ***

Look At Me, Look At Me!

So, the older Ethan gets, the more entertaining he gets! He has always been VERY smiley and loves people. Well, Ethan now has realized that he loves being the centre of attention and has learned how to be it. The other day I was in line at the photo centre in Wal-Mart and Ethan was sitting in the cart. I'm just standing there minding my own business when I hear laughing behind me. I turn around to see that Ethan is rocking back and forth, shaking the cart, and grinning with his little nose scrunched, just lapping up all the attention he's drawing. Well every woman there was just tickled pink and couldn't stop talking about how cute he was, how good he was, how funny he was, etc, etc... Seriously, Ethan was IN HIS GLORY!!! Whenever it would get quiet again and the excitement would die down, he'd YELL; AAAHHHH, then wait for the head turns, and do his whole act again! It was so funny and I must admit I felt quite thrilled and proud myself.

Yesterday I was in line at Superstore and he was just staring at this guy who had his back turned. Well what do you know, Ethan yells, the man looks, and Ethan grins, scrunches his nose, and turns on the charm. The guy was fairly young and didn't seem like the friendly type. Well what do you know, he can't help but smile and as I'm looking around, I see out of the corner of my eye that he continues looking and smiling at Ethan.

I'm so glad that my baby can bring people joy. There was this miserable woman in the Wal-Mart, but she was so happy when Ethan was smiling at her. I don't know what's going on in people's lives, if they're going through difficult times, if they have no hope. Maybe they don't have a reason to smile, genuinely smile these days, but there's something about looking in the face of an innocent baby that makes you forget all your worries, even if it's just for a short time. I'm so thankful that I get to look in those sparkling eyes on a daily basis and be reminded of the simple pleasures in life. Thank you Lord for my precious baby who brings me so much joy.

Toilet Paper!!

It all begins with an excited grin when he sees the bathroom
Aha! He spots the TP
He's making his way to it
Finally! Now he can unroll it!
Look how happy he is (can you tell he just woke up?)

Ethan has always had somewhat of a bathroom fetish. Since it looked so appealing, it was the first room he crawled to, all the way from the living room and he hasn't stopped ever since! He started by loving to fling the spring behind the door, to pulling up to standing on the tub, to opening and closing the cupboard doors, and now to getting wedged between the toilet and wall, unrolling the toilet paper and EATING it!!
I'll often try to distract him in the living room with a musical toy, then quickly sneak into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Well Ethan apparantly has some kind of built in bathroom sonar, and no sooner have I turned on the water, that Ethan is right there with his excited face (scrunched up nose and heavy breathing), with only one thing in mind; "MUST GET TOILET PAPER!" It doesn't matter how much I try to distract him, he is clearly a male and has a one track mind once he has something on it.
As you're reading, I'm sure you're thinking to yourself "why don't you just take the toilet paper off the roll." Good idea, after scooping wads of TP off the roof of his mouth, that's exactly what I did. (j/k, I do actually keep an eye on him and he's never actually "eaten" it, he just tries)

A Whole New World

I had to post this because Ethan just learned how to open cupboard doors and he was so excited, he just didn't know which one to choose.

Phhhttt!!

I'm such a sweetheart!

But I'm not eating that!

Ethan has always LOVED eating! My girlfriends say to me "Ethan's such a good eater." And it's true. The books say that when your baby has had enough food, they'll close their mouth and turn their head away.....not Ethan. I have had to portion his food his entire life because he'll just keep eating! Until recently. I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the line, Ethan started spitting....yes spitting, when he's had enough of something or doesn't like it at all. So I have started saying "no" very sternly and puting my finger over his mouth, but he just gives me a BIG grin. How can I not laugh?? I try so hard, but he stares at me very intently and he knows that I think it's funny! That is until I look at my shirt, my hair, my face, the tray and the floor...

He gets into EVERYTHING!

I want those lights!
They are so pretty
I don't have your cell phone, mommy!

Part of being a mom and having other moms as friends is comparing the stages our babies are at. One baby crawls at 5 1/2 months, another one still isn't at 10 months. The mom whose baby is a stationary little log is starting to think "my baby really SHOULD be crawling by now..." Well I've always been one to say "hey, the later they crawl, the better" and it's true. However, when Ethan starting army crawling at 6 months, I was thrilled.

That was then, this is now... in the last month, Ethan no longer army crawls; he has become a very proficient crawler! He has also become very good at pulling up to standing and walking along furniture, and lately I've been wondering why it takes me SO long to do menial tasks. For instance, it has taken me a week to put up all my Christmas decorations. Why? Then today I realized why; because I have a mobile baby who actually demands a lot of attention in a day.

Gone are the days of plopping him on a blanket on the floor or in an exersaucer (aka, the circle of neglect). I am constantly following him around, making sure he doesn't pull down some vase, topple the Christmas tree, eat dirty underwear, or eat the toilet brush....we've had some close calls with that one! Also, his latest is that he loves looking in the toilet. Who knew I'd have to remember to "put the lid down."

I'm so glad my little baby is growing and developing at a healthy rate; what a blessing that he doesn't have any health or developmental issues, but I'm realizing that until he can understand and obey "no," there's not a lot of housework going to get done.