Busy Little Bees...

We were super busy this past weekend. We had a great visit with Nick's dad and Carlene, mom and Dewayne, and Grandmother and Granddaddy. All of them were able to come and visit us and Ethan.

The AU game was a bit disappointing, even more bummed about the AL game. Also sad that we missed Megan on her trip to AU for a visit. Hopefully we'll catch them, her and T, next come around.

Ethan is surprising us more and more each day. We have discovered that he gets a bit shy around new people. He'll dig his head into the shoulder of whoever is holding him when a new person comes around. He's a snuggle bug! He's doing good holding his head up and doing mini push ups. He had a laughing fit this evening when Nick and myself were playing with him. He just smiled and laughed while bouncing up and down in his bouncy chair. Oh, funny story, the other day I went to go pick him up at school. Him and his friends weren't in the room so I looked out in the hall and saw his teachers pushing the Bye-bye buggy (this big red stroller that sits six kiddos stadium style--2 in the front, 2 in the middle, and 2 sittin tall in the back). Well, I went ahead and got his things together and waited for his teacher to push them around. When I went back out into the hall and saw the buggy, I laughed out loud! There was my tank of a child sitting in the front of the buggy with his 'gangsta lean' just a looking around. His chunky little belly was just hanging out of the straps and his feet were just a dangling. I wish I had my camera but didn't. When he saw me standing there, he just smiled and flared his limbs. It was just too cute!

Here are some pics from the weekend and from the previous weekend when we went to Tabitha's baby shower.

Still introducing cereal to Big E...not a big fan

Things I have learned...

I learned two things about Ethan this weekend:

1. He loves to watch football. All the colorful little things running across the screen fascinates him. At one point he was super fussy so I turned him around to bounce him on my knees. He stared at the tv screen and was quiet from then on.

2. Stinky poots....E-buddy is a gassy baby! Just wait, yall will get a wiff of it soon!

Happy Fall!

Super cute!

Just a couple of cute pics! Nothing new going on here but a bunch of slobber, cooing, and thumb sucking!

Right on track..

Tomorrow is Ethan's 3 month old birthday. From what I am reading and learning Ethan's development is right on track! My sources are telling me he should:

• Recognize mommy and daddy's face and scent---Check
• Holds head steady---almost check, we are working on that. Still a bit wobbly
• Visually tracks moving objects---Check. He keeps his eyes on mommy and daddy when in his bouncy chair.
• Vocalizes: squeals, gurgles and coos---Check; and its great! He will just talk up a storm for about 15 seconds at a time. Its wonderful! He is even laughing a little. He has a deep chuckle. Kinda sounds like woody woodpecker for 2 seconds or so.
• Does mini push-ups---almost check, working on that too! He almost has it.
• Notices his hands---Check. He sucks on his right hand constantly. Some have told me he might be teething. I don't know though. No other signs of cutting teeth as of now. We'll keep an eye on it.
• Blows bubbles---Double Check! There is a constant flow of spit bubbles, doesn't stop!
• Bats at toys---Check. Uncle B and Aunt Coco gave him a wormy gym that we have been using. He swats at the toys all the time. If they were bugs they would totally be goners!
• Rolls from tummy to back---Not yet. Unless he has done it at school. We haven't seen it, but I think we are getting close. He has done it accidentally when he was smaller, but not recently. He is rolling though so I think it is coming.

All in all, we are right on track! This has been really fun! We are really enjoying watching him development. I love it!

Just like Nick....

Well it has been two weeks since I have returned to work. A sense of normalcy is setting in. We have developed a schedule and its going pretty good! We got very lucky the week I went back to work! Ethan began sleeping through the night! I am going to knock on wood too, just in case! He'll grunt around during the night, but I will just sneak up there and restart his CD of ocean waves and he will go right back to sleep. A few mornings this week, I have had to go up there and wake him up to get him ready for school and for breakfast. He is just like Nick too, when he wakes up...super grumpy at first. After he eats, we get him ready and we head off to start the day!

He has a good teacher at school. I have heard nothing but good things from the other moms in the hospital who have had her. She pays close attention to all the babies in the room and works well with the moms, especially us first time moms! There are only 5 babies in Ethan's class. He gets tummy time, floor play, bouncy chair time and swing time. When he gets bigger and is able to sit up, he will get bumpo chair time, and bouncy walker thing time. There have been many times where I have walked into the room and they have had music playing too! All those things are good activities for Ethan's development.

The first week of work/school went better than I anticipated. I was so busy at work that I didn't even have time to dwell on the fact that I had to leave my baby at a day care. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were the worst of last week and this week. I feel guilty b/c I feel like I am not spending enough time with Ethan. Tears did come to my eyes! But they quickly disappeared once I got to work and realized how much work I had to do that day.

I don't know about you, but I love to watch Ethan develop. Day by day and week by week, I notice some type of development. The most recent is hands opening and more control over legs and arms. He just swats at his toys in his wormie and kicks his legs. He is so cute! We play when we get home, but it doesn't feel like there is any time. I love the weekends even more now! Right now he is laying in his new exercise gym staring at a whale and his butterfly rattle looking thing. He is cooing up a storm and slobbers all the time. The funniest thing is when he is trying to whine...he'll start to smile and realize that he was whining so therefor have to stop smiling. We just laugh!

Nick and I are very blessed! He is such a good baby! He sleeps through the night, cries only when he needs something, very playful, smiles a ton, super cute and chunky (size 6 mo clothes!!!), and healthy! So Lucky!!!!

Just a side note, these developmental toys are super expensive. Have you ever realized that! I bought one of these new gym things and it so was not worth the money I paid for it. I thought it was going to be so stimulating, but not so much. We all need to be baby toy creators!

First AU football game. I think the pre-flash scared him. ;)

He was super tickled in this one...