Up before the crack of dawn!

So I am writing this post at 4:45 am in the morning. Crazy huh? Ethan woke up around 3:30 for his bottle as usual and so I got up, fixed it, gave it to him and went back to bed. Not too long afterwards, he started crying again. This is unusual because normally when we give him his bottle, he'll just go back to sleep. I went in his room and quickly made another bottle because I thought he just didn't get enough milk. I tried giving it to him but he just pushed it away. I picked him up and tried calming him down but no success. My only guess was that his teeth were bothering him. Eventually Ish came in the room because Ethan just wouldn't settle back down. So I changed him and Ish just talked to him and held him and he started to calm down. We layed him back in his crib and gave him his bottle again and he took it. Success! So we went back to bed. Well at this point it was about 4:30 and Ish and I were wide awake. We could still here Ethan moaning as he drank his bottle and was just waiting for him to fall back asleep. He then started talking and within seconds he was quiet. It was funny because Ish and I weren't really saying anything to each other because we were trying to go back to sleep. Finally Ish said he was wide awake and I was too. He decided to get up and go watch tv downstairs and I was going to force myself to fall back asleep. As soon as Ish turned to stair light on, Ethan sat up in his crib with excitement. Ish of course goes into his room to mess with him. At this point I am still in bed trying to go back to sleep and all I hear is Ethan laughing and babbling. I was starting to get mad because I had thought Ish woke him up and I guess he technically did by turning the light on. Well at this point I could tell there was no way Ethan was going to go back to sleep with all this excitement going on. So that led me to getting up and getting on the computer while Ish is entertaining Ethan downstairs. I can honestly say that this has never happened before and it is very strange to me. I guess I'm not too worried because I know he'd normally be waking up in a couple of hours anyways and it may be a good thing so that he can get an early nap in before we go to church. And usually he needs a nap before we go to church but it can be very difficult some Sundays. So maybe having him up at 4:45 in the morning might not be so bad afterall. Of course if I wasn't wide awake I'd be thinking differently. Happy sleeping everyone!

Life is full of changes

My little boy Ethan! He is just changing everyday...sometimes it's for the good, but there are times that I'm wondering what in the world is going on. Last week he went through this stage of not taking naps. It's like he just went on strike and refused to sleep in his crib. It was frustrating at times because you could tell that he was so tired and that he needed his rest. I was beginning to think that he was trying to cut out one of his naps, but then I was also thinking that maybe it was because he was teething and it was causing him to act like a different child. Who knows..but, this week has been a little better.
Teeth. Now that's an interesting story. I feel like Ethan has been teething for 6 months. For months I would see signs that he was teething but no teeth ever showed up. Finally at 10 months old he has started getting his first 2 teeth in. I was so excited because I have been waiting for them to come through for so long. BUT, those 2 teeth have been sitting in the same spot for like 3 weeks now. I thought that they would just pop on out and whala! but no, they haven't grown any and it seems it's taking forever. I just wish he would get his teeth in so he can start eating real food. He can chew a lot with his gums but there are just somethings that I know he won't be able to chew. So while most 10 month olds are eating chicken, noodles, pizza, etc. my baby is still eating smashed jar food. I just hope his teeth will come in by the time he turns a year old! At this rate, we may only have 2 teeth by then :)
On another exciting note, Ethan has started pulling himself up more. He's definitely getting more brave every time he does it. A couple of times he lets go and falls back and hits his head. And when he does, he lets you know that he is not happy! I guess he hasn't figured out that he has to hold on to things in order to stay standing. It's definitely cute seeing him stand up like a big boy. He's so tiny so it looks funny seeing this baby crawl and walk around (with mommy's help of course.)
Although we may struggle with Ethan's wonderful sleeping habits and still might have trouble getting him to eat his baby food, I remind myself that he's not going to last this way forever! These are just minor things in his life and I need to not worry about it so much and just enjoy being Ethan's mom. He definitely keeps me on my toes and some days, I am just exhausted! But no matter what, I love our happy and adventurous little boy and I can't imagine my life without him! He is the happiest baby and is always smiling. When I'm in the grocery store or shopping, Ethan is constantly getting attention from men and women. He just smiles at them and tries to act shy. You can tell that he loves the attention just like his daddy. Well once Ethan finally gets those teeth to pop on through I'll let you know!

"What's the big deal with the pumpkins?"

Right now I am missing my baby boy. My parents came up to visit for the day and took Ethan for the weekend so that Ish and I could get some house projects done while Ethan is gone. It was sad seeing him go but I knew he was in good hands. When Ish and I got home this evening he told me he missed his boy and I totally agreed. It's amazing how empty you feel when your baby is gone. Sometimes it's nice to have a little break to do something as a couple, but we still miss him!
Today we took Ethan to the pumpkin patch for the very 1st time. I was so excited to see how would act and couldn't wait to pick out his pumpkin. As soon as we got there, we immediately went to the bin full of the baby pumpkins so Ethan could see them. He acted very interested at 1st and wanted to touch them. Because I wanted to take pictures with the pumpkins around him, we sat him down in the grass next to the big pumpkins. Well Ethan has never really sat in the grass before ( I know, weird!) but he just started crawling so there has really been no need for him to be in the grass. Anyways, b/c of this he was very intrigued with the grass touching his legs and not interested in looking at the pumpkins, much less the camera. We tried everything to get him to look and touch the pumpkins but he just wouldn't do it. At one point we tried to get him to stand next to the pumpkin and to hold himself up with it. But when I picked him up off the ground, he just left his legs in the sitting position and wouldn't stand up! Ethan was acting very strange and not himself. It was like he was scared of the pumpkins or something. We tried to get as many pictures as we could but he never did look at the camera and acted more interested in other things besides pumpkins. I felt like Ethan was saying to me, "Mom what's the big deal with the pumpkins! Seriously!" Even though I didn't quite get the reaction I wanted from him, we still had a good time. We eventually picked out a baby pumpkin for Ethan and decided not to get one for ourselves. I just couldn't find one that I really liked. All of them were really big and I'm just way too picky. Maybe I'll pick one up at the grocery store if it catches my eye. So that was our eventful day and a good memory to put in the scrapbook (if I ever start it!)

News and more news

Well it's been a while since I've posted anything but it's because we have been super busy! Just to catch everyone up on things the 1st thing is that Ethan is definitley crawling now. He started crawling on the day he turned 9 months old. It was so funny watching his little body just move across the floor. Right away he noticed the cable box and dvd player and can't seem to keep his hands off the buttons. No matter how many times we say no, he continues to touch them. I've started to put something in front of the boxes so he wouldn't be tempted to touch the buttons, but if we're watching TV, we can't change the channel b/c we're covering up the sensor.
Another major thing that has happened is that we just moved into our very 1st home on Sept 15! We are so thrilled to finally own our very 1st home. We've only been in here for about a week and half and are still unpacking boxes. It amazes me that we were able to fit all of our stuff in a 2 bedroom apartment for so long. I definitely keep myself busy with trying to organize everything and keeping an eye on Ethan as he explores the house. I can't say I actually get much done during the day but I try not to worry about it. The last major thing that has happened is that I'm pregnant again! I am about 12 weeks along and I am feeling pretty good. I haven't had morning sickness like I did with Ethan which is causing me to just eat whatever. This is not good! I am trying to eat healthy like I did with Ethan but it's been really hard. The due date is April 10 and we're really excited and nervous at the same time.
Well, I'll try and update this blog more often but these days I've had hardly anytime to sit down and think!

The sweetest thing

Now that Ethan is 8 1/2 months old he is exploring more than ever! He hasn't actually started crawling forward yet but he is so close. He can crawl and scoot backwards and likes to scoot around in a circle. You can tell that he gets frustrated that he can't get to where he wants to go. The other day, he managed to scoot himself backwards into the sofa chair. His legs and butt got stuck under the chair and he couldn't get himself out. It was pretty funny b/c I didn't see him do it and just found him that way. Ethan definitley makes me laugh with all the funny things that he does. Recently he started saying Mama but he started rambling nana and then mama got mixed in there. Then about a week later he was having a rough night and wouldn't stay asleep so I just picked him up and held him while rocking side to side. He eventually stopped crying and just got quiet and within a few minutes he said Mama in the sweetest little voice. It was the most precious thing ever. It made me just want to enjoy that moment forever and never let him go.

Ethan's 1st words

Every day when Ish gets home from work he'll grab Ethan and start playing with him. While they are playing Ish is always telling Ethan to say Daddy. I thought this was a good idea because how else is he supposed to learn if we never say it to him. So for the past couple of days I've been trying to get Ethan to say Mama. Well lastnight I had a friend over and we both were trying to get him to say Mama. He would move his mouth but the words just wouldn't come out. As it got later, I put him in his crib for him to go to bed. Ish had to work late that night so he was disappointed when he didn't see Ethan in the living room. He went into Ethan's room to give him a kiss goodnight and saw that he was still awake. As I was watching a movie, out of the corner of my eye I see this michevious look on Ethan's face just peeking around the corner. It was so funny because he knew he was supposed to be in bed but when daddy gets home, he thinks he gets to stay up later. As Ish was holding him, Ethan was wired with energy. Ish said to Ethan, "Say dadda" and Ethan started bouncing in his arms and slapping his hands on Ish's arms and said "dadda, dadda". My heart just melted. It was the sweetest thing. I had to laugh because I had been trying to get Ethan to say Mama all day and as soon as Ish says dadda to him, he repeats him. Amazing. So now, I'm continuing to say Mama until he says it. He gets so close too!

Growing, weaning & eating more

Ethan will be 7 months next week! I just can't get over how time is flying by and how fast he is growing up. The other day I went and visited a friend who just had a baby a couple of weeks ago and it was so hard to believe that Ethan was that tiny not too long ago. I actually couldn't remember how it felt holding him when he was that tiny! It's amazing how the little things just slip by you but when you're in that stage of life all you can think of is how you want them to grow up. I'm trying to cherish the time I have with him now because I'm realizing how fast he is growing. The other day when I was nursing him I just rubbed his little arms and legs and tryed to take in that moment. Right now I'm actually trying to wean him and so I know that I'm not always going to have that special moment with him.
For the past 3 months I've been trying to get Ethan to take formula just so it would make it easier for me when I would leave the house, but he just would not take to it. Well my mom came for a visit and she was determined to get him to take formula. She started off giving him canned milk (which is what I was raised on as a kid) and Ethan hesitated for a while but eventually he took to it. After being persistent, he drank 8oz! That's the most he has ever drank! I was so suprised. So after a few bottles of canned milk we switched it to the ready made formula and he drank it right away. I was so estatic! Well as soon as my mom left that weekend, I fixed him a bottle of formula the next day and he would not drink it. Everyday for a week I would try and I would always get the same reaction from him. Not only was I having to nurse him but he was very moody and fussy. It seemed like he just wasn't happy unless I was holding him. I was having a hard time because he never acts this way. My first reaction was that he was teething and that it would eventually go away. Well my mom decided to come up for again for the weekend to watch Ethan while I went to work. I told her that I needed her to get him used to the formula again. After being very persistent and Ethan crying for about 20 min., he eventually drank it. While I was at work, she fed him the formula and he drank 6-80z and was the happiest baby all day long. So we came to the conclusion that he just wasn't getting full off of my milk so it caused him to be fussy. So now, I'm just trying to get adjusted to this new eating schedule. The hardest thing for me is deciding if it's even worth me nursing him anymore if he's not getting full. You would think he would eat more baby food if he was so hungry but that's not the case. He seems to go through fazes with the baby food. Some days he eats really well and some days he just eats a few bites. I'm assuming that one day he'll just take to it and want to eat more so I'm not trying to worry about it. There's no need to try and force him to eat more food right now b/c he'll eventually get to the point where milk just won't be satisfying to him and he'll want more food. So that's where we are right now...but the boy loves him some bananas. When all else fails, feed him some bananas!