The Baby Journal

2013-01-07T01:02:00.001-08:00

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Ethan Update

2007-05-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you who don't already know, Ethan is now 18mths old! About 3 days before his 18mth milestone Ethan went to his first kids' salon for his first official haircut. The salon and stylist were awesome! (It was Cloe's Carousel in the Carmel Mtn. Ranch area.) The whole place is decorated in the theme of an old fashioned carousel. The styling stations surround one center column and each chair looks like a carousel horse (but is actually a regular styling chair with a booster cushion for the little guys). The waiting area is actually a partially walled off play area with all kinds of toys and even a couple playhouses in addition to the usual chairs for grown ups. When they are ready for you, you get to pick out a video for your child to watch while they are getting their hair cut. There is a video at every styling station. They also allow certain toys to be brought to the styling station (they sanitize them afterward). Ethan's stylist was awesome! He was happy with the video and toys, but still moved almost constantly yet she didn't miss a beat. She just kept trimming the hair on that little moving target and to my amazement, it came out wonderfully! Only a couple times did she need him to look in a particular direction for a moment (for the bangs and around the ears) and she was super quick and patient about it. While I'm sitting there marveling that she isn't trying to get him to sit still at all, she seems to be taking it all in stride! She told us (Me and Nana) that she chose to work in the kids salon because she was looking for a challenge and figured a moving target would do that. I'd say she's conquered that challenge! When we first got there, I picked a simple, (but with a little flair) haircut from a book while Ethan played. When the cut was done, he looked about as close to the picture I'd chosen as possible! I still can't believe what an amazing job she did with him moving the entire time! Since it was his first official haircut, they collected a bunch of his hair and put it in a tiny baggy, printed him out a certificate, and took his picture with his stylist and printed it out right there for us to take it home! While we Nana waited for those things to be assembled (just a few minutes), Ethan beelined his way back to the play/waiting area. When it was time to go- he didn't want to. In fact, he was quite upset when we had to leave. It was such a great experience for Nana, Mama, and Ethan, that I'm looking forward to his next haircut there! :-D One thing, though. I walked in there with a baby. I walked out with a little man. I couldn't believe how much more grown up he looked with a real hair cut! I actually choked up and had tears in my eyes! Nana laughed at me.

After his haircut, Dada met Nana and Mama at the photographer's studio to get Ethan's 18mth photographs done. Once again we had talented help. The photographer was very friendly and quick with the trigger. After our session I wasn't sure how she could have gotten anything more than a decent shot with the total lack of patience Ethan was expressing by that point. We even got a shot of him in full fuss-mode (when we tried to get him to do a shot laying on his belly). I was pleasantly wrong however. We actually got a number of wonderful shots and a few more decent shots with only a couple not-so-good shots. That is entirely a testimony to the talents and experience of the photographer!

Ethan's favorite things these days are dogs, ducks, cats, and pretty much anything to do with transportation (cars, planes, trains, boats, trucks, motorcycles, etc). When we first received the Cars movie as a gift Ethan seemed a tad bored with it. Now he'd watch it every day if I let him! He'll flip open a book and start saying, "Ru, Ru, Ru, Ru" (sounds like "ruff" without the "ff"). I look at the page quickly and say, "I don't see any dogs, honey." Then I'll take another look and find a tiny dog chasing a tiny cat at the bottom of the page. It's like that outside too. I'll be watching where I'm walking and he'll see someone walking their dog a hundred feet away to our left, or I'll be driving and he'll see a dog in the back seat of the car next to us. He's also keen on the helium balloons at the grocery store. I points them out every time whereas I don't even consciously see them otherwise. He's also usually the first one to see a plane or helicopter in the sky. It's surprising how little they can appear and he'll still see them if the sun isn't in his face.

The biggest development lately is that Ethan has said his first "sentence"! This past Sunday morning he made that major milestone of linking two words together. He said "All done." with crystal clear pronunciation. He has said it many times since then too. This is exciting because it means his language abilities are probably about to explode. I'm eager to see how this develops!

Also, for those of you who don't know, we've been teaching Ethan sign language. So when he says "all done" he will often make the sign for it as well. He knows (and can do)the signs for Please, Thank You, More, Eat (num num), Milk, Drink, Play, Up, Down, Yes, Sorry (looks just like please when he does it, though) and of course, All Done. There are others that he will recognize but doesn't repeat, mostly because they aren't "necessary" to get what he wants, such as Plane and Music.

April 07

2007-04-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well here are some things you might like to know about Ethan:

He says many words now including uh-oh, ball, down, and done.

He also makes other word-like sounds which somewhat effectively communicate his need or question.

To supplement his burgeoning vocabulary, we started teaching Ethan American Sign Language a couple of weeks ago and he took to it like a duck to water. He loves it! He has learned and employs an amazing number of signs including, yes, up, down, more, eat, thank you, please, sorry and some others.

We also continue to expose Ethan to French in the form of french videos, songs, and games.

He's quite the runner and has very little fear. Loud noises startle him easily, but we have to watch that he doesn't simply walk off the edge of steps without pausing (causing a fall), and he will walk quite a distance away from us now before looking back to see where we are or if we're following. He also will pick up just about anything- some he explores with his mouth, others he shows to me.

He's learning his body parts and can point to his hair, eyes, nose, ears, bellybutton, feet, hands, etc.

Yesterday he discovered photographs. Walking down the hall, he suddenly noticed the family photo that had been there forever and he spent the 5 straight minutes having me name off who everyone in the picture was as he pointed to them. After 5min I'd had enough of the game but he wanted more. "That's Grandpa Bob. That's Nana. That's Grandma Judi. That's Grandpa Mark. That's Aunt Wendy. That's Mama. That's Ethan. That's Dada. That's Uncle Mark. That's Nana. That's Mama. That's Ethan. That's Grandma Judi. That's Grandpa Mark. That's Aunt Wendy....." Had enough yet??? ;-P Me too!

Well, anyway, those are the highlights.

New Pictures!

2007-01-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have pointed out my delay in posting pics, here you go! I have just loaded a bunch of pics from Christmas and our Winter Vacation in Utah onto our family pic blog. Enjoy! :-)
Click here to visit our family pic blog.

Good Times, Scary Times, & Laughing My Rear Off!

2007-01-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

Well, since it is my nature to write things in chronological order, I shall begin with the Scary Times:

On Tuesday, December 19, 2006 I was busy with some holiday preparation or another when I noticed Ethan had laid himself down on the floor, bug-style. Having no other thought than to be a bit surprised that he appeared ready for his nap nearly an hour earlier than usual, I resolved to put him in his crib as soon as I'd finished with whatever I was in the middle of doing. However, in another 5-10min, just as I finished whatever I was doing, he was up and playing with his toys again. Fine. Back to work. Another half hour or so goes by and I notice him laying on the floor again. Okay, time for a nap. The second my hands hit his skin I know somethings wrong. I kiss his forehead and know immediately that he has a fever. A real fever. I take him with me to retrieve his thermometer and find confirmation in the reading it gives.
After that, my memory becomes a bit fuzzy so I may have some of the events out of order, but I do know that I rather quickly called Luke, Ethan's Pediatrician's office, and my mother. As an added blessing, my sister was staying with us while she took a preparation course for her RN exams. Her presence was very calming and I am SO grateful not to have been alone! Over the next few days Ethan's temperature ranged from 100.0 (about 2hrs after Infant Tylenol administered) to 104.9 (1hr after Tylenol had worn off). The temperature was his primary symptom. His only other symptoms were a lack of appetite (unheard of for Ethan) and a general listlessly. At the peak of his temperature spikes (which occured regularly in the last half hour before another dose of Tylenol could be almost without exception and which were the worst in the early evening & the wee hours of the morning) Ethan's eyes would glaze over, his face would be completely red, and he would give every impression of being a rag doll- almost not responding to anything or anyone. On day 2 or 3 (can't remember) Ethan went to see his doctor who, although unable to suggest anything new, did give me a lot of confidence boosting information and praised my methods of keeping Ethan's temperature down (Tylenol, lukewarm baths, cool cloths, light clothing & bedding). Oh, she did suggest that if we wanted to, we could "piggy back" Infant Motrin with the Tylenol so as to erase the spikes between doses. However, after purchasing the Motrin and discussing the option at length, Luke and I decided that introducing a new medicine (Ethan had not had it before) with the known side effects of Motrin (being hard on the stomach), combined with our suspicion that his illness was somehow related to his stomach, led us to the decision NOT to use the Motrin afterall. The doctor also noted that Ethan showed no signs of dehydration (always a concern with fever and poor appetites). Phew! ....Well, if memory serves it was Friday morning when Ethan's temperature finally returned to normal and stayed that way. This was a total surprise because the doctor had informed us that this year's fevers were tending to be higher and last longer (7-10days) than in years past. With this knowledge we had put our Christmas and Vacation plans on the "probably not going to happen" list. Thanks to Ethan's miraculously early recovery, we were able to proceed with our plans as originally hoped for. Another pleasant surprise was that Ethan did not develop the post-fever rash which the doctor said was also prevelent this year. Yeah! As suddenly as he had become ill, Ethan was well again! Praise the Lord!

Now on to the Good Times:
On the evening before Christmas Eve, Ethan and I ventured out of the house for the first time in a week. Luke took us to a neighborhood in Clairemont where almost every house on the street was lavishly decorated for the holidays and a couple of the houses were selling hot chocolate and cookies. We splurged and bought some from a soccer? team who was set up in the driveway of one of the houses to raise funds for their upcoming season. Ethan and I shared the cookies while Luke enjoyed the hot chocolate. Ethan, warmly dressed and snuggled in a blanket in our arms, was awwed by the sights on the street and appeared to enjoy every minute of it! On our way back to the car we noticed a two foot tall plastic santa holding a tray full of small boxes standing in the headlight beam of a car parked lengthwise in a driveway and specially decked out for the occasion. The sign attached to the santa's tray read "Please take one per family". Closer inspection of the boxes revealed several small candy dishes and what looked (according to the outside picture) like small metal bell ornaments. Touched by the generosity of the homeowners, we accepted one of the bell boxes as a souvenier of our wonderful night out as a family. To our surprise, when we returned home, we opened the box and found not a small metal bell ornament, but a medium sized porcelain bell with beautiful poinsettias painted on the front! I immediately said to Luke, "Oh good now we have a bell to use when we're sick!" His only response was a sarcastic "Great." lol

This year we celebrated Christmas day with Luke's family at his parents' house. I made a new recipe I'd found for Cranberry Icecream Pie and it was such a hit that I've been requested to make it every Christmas from now on! Ethan had a wonderful time playing with his two aunts, grandparents and great grandparents.

About 3:30 that afternoon we left for our apartment where we unloaded our plunder from Luke's family and reloaded with our gifts for my family along with all the luggage and gear we would need for the following week's trip to Utah for skiing. Arriving at my parent's home sometime around 9pm we inhaled a couple pieces of pizza, fed Ethan, and enjoyed another round of gift giving and receiving. My parents' offered to keep Ethan in their room for the evening to allow Luke and I a good night's sleep to help repair the damages of Ethan's recent sickness. Unfortunately, my mom had to drive the next morning, so when Ethan was still not cooperating an hour later, I retrieved him and took him to the living room couch where we could theoretically sleep without disturbing Dada who had a pounding migraine. Instead, Ethan slept very fitfully on my chest and changed positions about every 10-20minutes throughout the entire night. He capped off the night by overflowing his diaper and peeing through my nightgown onto the only pair of underwear I had not (stupidly) packed in my suitcase which had been promptly burried in the rental trailer upon arrival the evening before. Although Luke kindly retrieved my suitcase while I showered, I think it goes without saying that I was not the perkiest member of the group that morning. It was to be another two days (and another very long night) before we finally discovered the reason for Ethan's general crankiness and restless sleep: His first molar! Merry Christmas! *rolling eyes*

Despite this auspicious start to our skiing vacation, the trip actually turned out pretty great. Luke enjoyed snowboarding- something he hadn't done in years. Ethan hated snow the first day, but changed his mind and loved it the last day. (In between he mostly reaked havoc around the spacious condo and thoroughly enjoyed crawling up and down the stairs to the loft- with a grown up trailing obediently behind.) As for me, my memory of skiing at age 6 proved deceiving. As a 6 year old I'd easily picked up the sport and scared the life out of my mother by flying at breakneck speed down my first real hill so that my father had to speed up to stay with me. I remember not one ounce of fear. Twenty years later with a healthy understanding of what a broken bone feels like and the slow painful recovery and expense it entails, I suddenly found myself completely terrified of going "too fast" - meaning anything more than a turtle's pace so that I could stop instantly without falling. For the full story of my skiing adventure, visit our family blog: www.keepingcurrent.blogspot.com ....trust me, it's worth it! :-D

Okay, now for the Laughing My Rear off Story:

Today, I was working on my laptop in my chair in the living room (gotta love wireless internet!) with Ethan playing with his toys near my feet in front of the entertainment center, when my nose detected something needing attention.
"Ethan come here."
Ethan obediently rises from his squatting position and toddles over to the side of my chair. I take another sniff. Oh yeah. No question.
"Ethan, diaper change." I say. "Let's go. Diaper Change." I motion for him to go around my ottoman and start toward his bedroom.
As I set my laptop down, I watch him obediently follow the route I'd indicated, and notice something VERY wrong!
"Ethan stop." I say firmly, but without any hint that he may be in trouble.
He stops and looks at me curiously as I quickly lean forward and lift him from the armpits, being careful to hold him a foot in front of me. I don't want the poop trailing down his right inner thigh and stuck on his ankle to get anywhere near my clothes.
I carry him down the hall in this fashion and set him on his changing pad. As I reach for a clean diaper I move his wandering right hand away from his diaper area and notice that it is speckled with traces of poo and so, therefore, is my hand. Goody. I look at his mouth and note two spots of poo stuck to his upper lip. Oh no. I quickly wipe as much of the poo from his mouth, hands, leg, and foot as I can with wipees, then strip his diaper off and remove a majority of the poo from that area too. Again holding his beneath his arms, I swiftly carry him across the hall and deposit him in the empty tub.
"Ethan, stay there. Sit. Mama be right back. Sit down. Stay there. Mama be right back." I say this a couple times to ensure that he's caught all my instructions and to watch his face for signs that he has any intent of disobeying. Not seeing any, I grab the phone which had been left in the bathroom and rapidly dial my nurse-on-call (aka mother's) phone number as I head back out into the living room to ascertain in exactly which spot on the carpet he may have been standing when he relieved himself, how many innocent bystanders (aka toys) were splattered/smeared along the way, and exactly how far he trailed his gooey, smelly mess. My mother checks with a coworker who worked in pediatrics and assures me Ethan will suffer no ill effects from eating his own poo and not being able to find more than a handful of dry flakes which must have fallen from his leg, I hang up the phone and return to the bathroom where Ethan grins at me from his still-seated position in the empty tub. (He hadn't moved an inch from where I'd sat him. GOOD BOY!) Now the humor hits me and as I fill the tub in preparation for his bath I grip the side of the tub and laugh hysterically. Ethan grins at me quizzically for a moment and then starts laughing too.

Things to know about Ethan

2006-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

Ethan's age can now be counted in years... well, one year. ;-p
Ethan has now walked as far as 15feet without falling and can sometimes turn corners!

Some of Ethan's favorite activities include:
-placing small objects into and pulling them out of larger objects with lids (i.e. balls in & out of boxes, small toys in & out of his little backpack) (he squeals with delight to find the objects still there) (the other day he "helped" a friend of ours get the money out of her wallet when she was preparing to pay for her lunch!) LOL
-swinging his arms back and forth very quickly through a pile of mega blocks to send them flying across the floor (he wears an evil grin while exhibiting this destructive behavior) LOL
-taking apart mega blocks and trying to put them back together (occasionally succeeding!)
-making the music go on any of his noise making toys
-carrying his new giggle ball by the hair and plopping it into his little train, then pushing the smokestack to send it chugging across the room (he sits back and watches the results of his efforts with pride then turns to another toy, leaving the train wherever it ends)
-smacking anything onto his new drum to create a sound
-chasing/being chased by grown ups around the house (we say "I'm gonna get you" or "You can't get me" and he laughs and takes off at full speed crawling)
-saying "uh-oh" before/after deliberately dropping something
-turning pages in board books (only under supervision- otherwise he prefers to eat them)

Two nights ago Luke and I started a game to teach Ethan please and thank you. For example: Luke will have a toy. I will say "Please toy." Luke will give me the toy. I will smile and say "Thank you." Then Luke will say "Please toy." I will give Luke the toy. Luke will smile and say "Thank you." And so forth. Ethan watched in absolute fascination. After a few turns, we included Ethan in the game and tried to encourage him to say "Please" and "Thank you".

Well, last night ETHAN started the game! Okay, so he doesn't say "Please" and "Thank you". But he makes very polite sounding noises at the appropriate times and uses obvious body language that shows he is trying to play the game. He uses one syllable for "Please" and two syllables for "Thank you". They aren't always the same sounds, but they are always rythmically correct. Occasionally he forgets to make a sound at all, and we encourage him, but it's obvious to see that he's trying to catch on and his attitude is noticably improved. (He was getting very "mine" and "gimme now" in his behavior and sounds.) It's very exciting!

For those of you who haven't been around at meal times lately, you might be interested to know that Ethan now eats table foods almost exclusively. He is still eating infant fortified oatmeal at least once a day and uses the store bought pureed foods for when we're out and about, but at home and at restaurants he usually eats cut up veggies, fruits, breads, and meats. He also has cheese, eggs, & pasta, and now drinks nonfat/2% milk, straight water, or watered down juice. Ethan is also now having an infant's liquid multivitamin everyday. Ethan's favorite snacks are Cheerios and the thick sourdough pretzels we buy in a barrel from Costco. For his birthday at home (on his actual birthday) Ethan ate veggie fried rice and a mini cupcake. He didn't end up having any cake at his birthday party... it just didn't work out that way. He was having too much fun playing and visiting with all of his guests.

For those of you who were unable to attend, we had a bday party for Ethan at a local park where we set up a table under a shady tree, laid out a tarp on the grass for clean crawling space, and set up an easy-up for extra shade. I had also pre-painted some large boxes to look like number and alphabet blocks and to be used to crawl through and play in. They were a surprisingly big hit with all the kids who's ages ranged from 1 (Ethan) to 8. There was a playground immediately adjacent to our table area for additional play for the older kids, as well as a coloring book and crayons and a bubble machine. The adults played two games: One where everyone filled in the blanks for a story that covered Ethan's birth and first year of life. Another where everyone had 30sec to draw Ethan then passed their paper to the person on the left and then repeat for 4 turns. There were some very interesting results! Both games were well received and everyone seemed to have a great time. At the end Ethan opened his gifts with notable help from Mom, Dad, and 5yr old guest Lindsey Miller. ;-D He came away with a very nice balance of toys, books, and clothes. We could tell everyone had put a good deal of thought into their choices and we greatly appreciate it.

More things to know:

Ethan is afraid of stuffed animals which are bigger than him and will wake up crying at night if we forget to plug in his blue nightlight or turn on his sleeping music.

Ethan loves stuffed animals that are smaller than him and wants every one that he sees! He's just reached that age where he now makes a fuss when he sees a toy (or anything brightly colored and appealing) in a store. We're having to change parenting tactics as a result. Previously he would be satisfied to hold the toy for a few seconds and then didn't mind when we put it back. We can't do that any more. We have to either tell him "no" or just keep moving. If we let him touch it, he thinks he can keep it.

Ethan LOVES bathtime! He usually will play contentedly with his bathtoys, the faucet, the shiny drain on the side of the tub, and the plug at the bottom of the tub for up to an hour before he's ready to get out (although he rarely gets more than 20minutes). He's not too happy when we don't have any time for playing during bath. He is just now beginning to enjoy splashing. I don't mind so long as we have time to play and so long as I don't have to go out in whatever I'm wearing (I usually end up wet when he splashes). I never care if the bathroom gets splashed. It's just water. It'll dry. Besides, I love splashing myself! :-p

Okay, well that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed learning these amazing facts! ;-p

Addressing Concerns About Homeschooling

2006-10-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

I've already been asked about whether it will be difficult for Ethan to get into college when the time comes if he has been homeschooled all his life. In answer, I usually point out that Luke was homeschooled K-12 and had no problems getting into a community college nor UCSD. However, this quote further explains the situation:

"This might have been a challenge at one point, but the situation now is that many colleges allow, or actively support, homeschoolers into their programs. This is because several studies have shown that homeschoolers tend to perform well above the average in college. And, many colleges recognize that homeschoolers tend to be more mature and have less potential for "getting into trouble."

For colleges that base acceptance primarily on standardized tests, such as the SAT, homeschooling is not a problem because homeschoolers can take such tests as easily as institutionally educated kids can. And, homeschoolers tend to perform better on these exams than the average.

Most colleges that also consider high-school performance, activities, and other elements of an institutional education, allow homeschoolers to present portfolios for consideration in the application process. This gives homeschoolers as much opportunity to be accepted as any other students." See full article.

I've also heard the concern- What about Sports and other Extracurricular Activities?

"Most activities that are available to kids in school are also available to homeschoolers. For example, any activities that aren't tied to a specific school, such as traveling sports leagues, are available to homeschoolers. There are also many sports that are available specifically to homeschoolers, for example, basketball leagues. These leagues offer the same opportunities as school-based sports, with cheerleaders, tournaments, and all that goes with school sports.

Because homeschoolers have more flexible schedules than institutionally educated kids, they actually have more opportunities to participate in activities (such as volunteering or attending arts programs during school hours).

The only activities that might be unavailable are those that are directly tied to a specific school, such as football or baseball teams. I wrote "might be" because some schools allow homeschoolers to participate in their team sports." For full article click here.

Last but not least- Is Homeschooling Legal? To put it simply: Yes!

Another Reason To Homeschool

2006-10-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

Another quote from a good article at FamilyEducation.com:

"Be aware that most states define a minimum number of "instructional hours" for a school day. A typical number is three hours. This might seem odd to you because most schools have days that consist of more than three hours. But remember that days in traditional schools are filled with a lot more than just instructional hours. There is the time to get to and from school, the administrative activities (taking roll for example), the time between classes, recess and other breaks, lunch, and so on. The actual number of hours a student spends "learning" in a traditional school is usually quite a bit fewer than the total number of hours in a school day.

Homeschooling can be much more efficient than a traditional school because you can eliminate much of the time that is wasted in traditional schools. You may find that you can get a lot more accomplished in fewer hours than can be done in a traditional school."

For the full article click here.

More Thoughts on Homeschooling

2006-10-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Am I qualified to be my child's teacher? How effective is home education?
(The following are quotes from articles which I believe answer these questions.)

"The assumption that trained professionals are the only ones qualified to teach our children is a relatively new concept, historically speaking. Around 1850, compulsory education was introduced in Massachusetts, and by the turn of the century, parents (often reluctantly) turned over the responsibility for their kids' education to the state. A study later showed that the Massachusetts literacy rate was 98 percent before compulsory education; after compulsory education, the literacy rate never exceeded 91 percent." For the full article go here.

"The fact that someone has a teaching credential by no means guarantees that they are an effective teacher. I am sure anyone who was educated in an institutional school (as I was) can confirm this. Plus, teachers are often overloaded and don't have the time to spend making sure students are learning to their potentials, especially if a student doesn't learn well using traditional techniques.

Although you are the primary teacher in your school, you aren't the source of all the information provided to your students. You use the same or better textbooks than institutional schools use. Plus, you have much better access to other resources and can take advantage of these resources more easily than traditional schools.

You can, and should, take advantage of tutors and outside classes to supplement areas in which you might not be able to teach effectively or just to broaden your children's experience.

You know your students much better than any formal teacher would. This enables you to tailor your instruction more closely to each student's personality and needs better than that which might happen in a public or even private school.

Homeschoolers outperform their counterparts on standardized tests.

....homeschool's pace can be set for each student, unlike the typical classroom in which the pace is usually based on the lower end of the performance spectrum, often leaving high-performing students bored and unchallenged.

Two of the factors most cited as being critical to successful education are the level of commitment (involvement) of the teachers to their students and the ratio of students to teachers. Homeschooling comes out way ahead on both of these counts. No one cares more about your children than you do, so you are highly motivated to ensure that they are educated well. And, your student-to-teacher ratio will be far better than any institutional situation. If you have a large family with 5 kids, your ratio is still only 5:1 while a typical public school class might have a 25:1 ratio.

Homeschoolers learn to think independently. Because they aren't part of a "pack," homeschoolers tend to develop more independent thinking skills than do their school counterparts. This better prepares them to succeed in college and careers." For the full article, go here.

The following quote is a perfect example of one of the major reasons I want to homeschool:

"For instance, I remember studying about the Civil War when I was in school. We opened our history books, did a few activities and spent many hours memorizing large blocks of information. It was incredibly boring, and after I passed the test on Friday, I remembered very little about the Civil War.

When my daughter Jessica was seven, we read a series of books about a little slave girl named Addy who lived during the Civil War. Told from the prospective of a nine-year-old girl, Addy's story fascinated Jessica. She was filled with questions and wanted to learn more: "Why were there slaves? What was the Underground Railroad? Who was Abraham Lincoln?"

We found the answers to these and other questions in the colorful books and educational videotapes in our library. We cooked with recipes from that time period, and made simple garments that were (almost) historical. We also went to a Civil War reenactment -- complete with soldiers camping and food cooking on open fires. But most importantly, we had fun. I never had to "teach" her anything, and I certainly learned a lot. Six years later, Jessica still recalls just about everything we covered -- now that's real learning! "For the full article go here.

Thoughts on Homeschooling

2006-10-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I am already preparing for Homeschooling Ethan. :-D In the process, I have come across an interesting article regarding the number one question I field whenever I speak of Homeschooling with someone unfamiliar with the topic:

"What about Social Skills?"

Following are some highlights from the article. For the full article please click here.

"The homeschoolers I know are out and about every day, enjoying museums, beaches, parks, and shows without the crowds. They travel often. The kids participate in Girl and Boy Scouts, 4-H, and sports. They take art, dance, drama, language, and music classes, to name a few. "

"Children often do not respond well to large groups. They become nervous and overexcited by noise and too many people. Learning becomes difficult. Behavioral problems develop. After analyzing over 8,000 early childhood studies, Dr. Moore concluded that, contrary to popular belief, children are best socialized by parents -- not other children."

"What kind of socialization occurs when 20 or 30 kids of the same age are placed in a classroom together day after day? Peer pressure is enormous. Kids feel like they need to look and sound and be like everyone else, at the risk of forgetting or never discovering who they really are. This results in rivalry, ridicule, and competition - hardly the environment for healthy socialization."

"A homeschooler who interacts with parents and siblings more than with peers displays self-confidence, self-respect, and self-worth. She knows she's a part of a family unit that needs, wants, and depends on her. The result is an independent thinker who isn't influenced by peers and is self-directed in her actions and thoughts.

Do tests bear this out? You bet!"

"In July 2000, the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think-tank, published an extensive report on homeschooling written by Senior Fellow Dr. Patricia Lines. She describes several controlled studies comparing the social skills of homeschoolers and nonhomeschoolers."

"The homeschoolers scored as "well adjusted." In one study, trained counselors viewed videotapes of mixed groups of homeschooled and schooled children at play. The counselors didn't know the school status of each child. The results? The homeschooled kids demonstrated fewer behavioral problems. Dr. Lines' conclusion? "There is no basis to question the social development of homeschooled children.""

I hope this answered any questions you may have regarding Social Skills and homeschooling. If you have any further questions on this issue, feel free to email me. :-)

Ethan Today

2006-10-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Ethan can say more than half a dozen words, understand far more, and makes up the rest of his communication needs with body language. For example, he has decided that clapping his hands repeatedly onto his high chair tray translates as: more. Also, when he is hungry he will crawl over to his high chair, pull himself to standing, and gain our attention by "talking" or saying "num-num"- our word for "Ethan's food".

Ethan now takes up to 10 walking steps in a row, very quickly, crossing distances up to 6ft without support. He will even occasionally cross a distance of one or two steps without support and completely without our encouragement or immediate presence! (we might be a few feet away as opposed to close enough to catch him) He LOVES to do this and has an incredible glow of pride when he successfully completes a journey without falling!

Ethan has become far more adventurous and will now start off down the hall without notice, simply to explore what might be of interest in another part of the house. Before, he would simply remain in whatever room we were in.

Ethan is having issues with napping lately. He either doesn't have a daytime nap at all or has a very short (20-30min) nap and yet STILL won't go to sleep until 1am!!! This has made for a VERY tired Mommy! At first Mommy was letting him sleep until he awoke, expecting it to be a phase he would pass through quickly as he has in the past. However this has now been going on for over a week and Mommy now wakes him up as soon as she is up. Also, today we think we've stumbled across the cause: Overstimulation. Ours is NOT a quiet house, but today we did have a quiet time in which both parents were reading and VOILA! Ethan began to show signs of tiring. Then he even allowed daddy to rock him to sleep without a fight! (Lately it's been a wrestling match to keep him in the rocking chair & placing him directly into the crib has caused nothing but endless screaming.) So, now we'll try keeping things quiet around the start of his nap times to see if it helps ease his transitions.

Funny/Sad Story:
Today Dada (Luke) was watching a football game. The opposing team scored a touchdown just as Ethan pulled himself to a standing position using the couch for support. At that moment Dada screamed "Nooooo!!!!" Not realizing Dada was yelling at the TV, Ethan immediately plunked down onto his bottom and looked at Mama with confused, tearfilled eyes and started fussing. Of course, Mama immediately scooped him up and assured him that he had done nothing wrong. Dada tried to make ammends, too, but Ethan was not "Dada friendly" for about half an hour afterward.

August Update

2006-08-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ethan's appointment went just fine. He weighed only about 2oz more than the last time he'd been weighed which was still less than 20lbs (barely).

Since then I've realized that I haven't told you about all the "words" Ethan can say. So, here's the list:

mama (no question. he knows what "mama" means. 50% says it on command.)
dada (not 100% on the meaning yet. almost getting it.)
numnum (means food but often sound like "mummum". definately knows what it means. occasionally says it on command.)
nana (he's not sure on the clarity of what it means, but he can say it.)
Hi! (definately knows what it means. refuses to say it on cue. usually accompanied by waving.)
out (clearly doesn't know what he's saying, and always leaves off the "t", but definately understands the command. mostly said as echo to when we say it.)
up up (definately knows what it means. usually says it on command.)

Understands these commands:
sit down. (verbally)
out. (verbally, but needs body language to get obedience)
stand up. (needs body language)
up up. (verbally)
no. (verbally)
put it down. (verbally)
do not touch. (verbally)
come here. (verbally)

Favorite Games/Activities:
Peekaboo
Far away, super close, far away, super close (especially face to face)
Fast movement ( i.e lifting fast toward ceiling)
Row row row your boat (sits in my lap facing me and I hold his hands and we "row the boat")
Bouncing
Singing
Book reading!!! (loves being read to!)
Putting balls into wholes in dinosaur Mega Toy (very efficient at it now!)
Pushing black ottoman on wheels around the apartment and down the hall
Anything where other kids are close to or paying attention to him.
Razzing mama's belly or other body part to make her laugh

New mannerism:
Will put his face nose to nose with yours to get your attention (like now while I'm typing ;-D)

Current clothing size:
Barely fits size 9mths, still a little swimming in the size 12mths- shirts and onesies.
Doesn't fit most 12mths shorts or pants, looks too big in 9mth shorts/pants.

Latest new foods:
lunch ham cooked in nonstick skillet
cooked egg yolk (scrambled, poached, or hard boiled) - no whites.

Walking Status:
Still only taken 1 step at a time... about 4-6 times now. Getting steadier on his feet every day. Only a matter of time now.

Side Note:
Ethan got ahold of a roll of paper towels the other day and had unrolled about 1/4 of it before I caught him. (I was tipped off by the ripping sounds.) This may be the first kid I'm in charge of who gives me reason to need a toilet roll protector!

Something funny I got in my email today:

New definitions for familiar words:

FEEDBACK: The inevitable result when a baby doesn't appreciate the mashed carrots. (Or in Ethan's case- avocado.)

HEARSAY: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word. (Ethan's will probably be Crap, boogersnot, and poo!- thanks to mama)

PRENATAL: When your life was still somewhat your own.

PUDDLE: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes.

STERILIZE: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it. (ummm if I'm already blowing/dusting, what does that mean??)

TOP BUNK: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman pajamas.

WHOOPS: An exclamation that translates roughly into "get a washrag."

Denly code:
HONEY, I NEED HELP!
Translates: Ethan just spit up everywhere! -Unless it comes from the changing table, in which case there will be either pee or poo involved.

Have a poop free day! :-D

Oops I Missed June!!!

2006-07-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

WOW! Okay, I knew I was a little behind on this blog, but I had no idea it had been over a MONTH since I'd posted! I am very sorry to keep you all in the dark!

As many of you know, these past several weeks have been incredibly full and at times chaotic, but throughout it all Ethan has continued to grow and change, so I am finally here to let you all in on his latest milestones and accomplishments.

First of all, within 48hrs of Ethan getting his first tooth, his second tooth also arrived, right next to that one. Also, on July 4th Ethan officially had a third tooth. His third tooth is HIS top right in the very front. The tooth immediately to the left of it (his left) has looked ready to break through the gums ever since then, but it hasn't done so yet. We expect it any moment now- I could see it when he wakes up from his nap or it may hold off another week. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Secondly, during our trip to Massachusettes (May 21-28), Ethan began to routinely scoot. First he scooted across the hotel beds, then across the floors at home, and by the second half of June, he had risen up onto his knees and begun to officially crawl!!

Ethan is now a VERY proficient crawler and can get to anything in a moments notice. He also is very good about following me around the house, but sometimes gets frustrated when I (still moving faster than he can) go from room to room to room putting things away. He'll just stop in the middle of the area I walk through most often, sit on his bottom, and starts protesting. (He scrunches up his face and starts crying- at first sad, but then if I don't help him, he gets mad.)

Ethan is also now a VERY proficient cruiser! After his little bathtub cruise, I could not get him to cruise again for about another week. But as the weeks have passed, Ethan has continued to pull himself to standing and started cruising more and more often and with more and more daring- even at times standing still without support for a moment or two. He no longer shows even the tiniest hint of hesitation when changing from one piece of furniture to another. If he can reach one without letting go of the other, he'll go for it.

On July 5th, ETHAN TOOK HIS FIRST UNASSISTED STEP!!!! Luke and I were encouraging him to walk (apparently we're masochistic)one evening by having him stand with his back against one of us and then call him over to the other who sat just out of reach. We also used toys to entice him. Well, it took about 20min but at one point he was leaning against me, then gained his own balance, took one step completely unsupported, and just as he took another step, he grabbed Luke's hand. We were momentarily stunned. We had BOTH just witnessed his first step! Three feelings: elation- neither of us had missed it; horror- Ethan freely walking is just days away; remorse- neither of us had thought about turning the camera on! Oh well, there's always his second and third steps, right?

Wrong! Just as with the first time he cruised, I have yet to entice Ethan into doing it again. The one time I turned the camera on during one of these coaxing sessions, he refused to even stand up and thought we were playing a jumping game whenever I tried to stand him on his feet. Oh well.

Ethan also has his first pair of shoes. I know that the wearing of shoes at certain ages and stages is very controversial, however, I have made the decision to allow Ethan to wear his shoes whenever we are out of the house and he wishes to walk, cruise, or crawl. I have bought specific shoes with this in mind and am comfortable with my decision. While at home or anywhere on a soft, clean, surface of course, he goes shoeless.

The third thing you should know about is that on the last Wednesday in June, Ethan had his first swimming lesson. These lessons are to introduce Ethan to the water, teach him proper responses to specific situations, and to start him on some basic swimming techniques. For example, at the start of every class I set him on the edge of the pool where the teacher watches him while I come down the steps into the pool and go over to him. Then I lower him into the pool up to his chin and immediately turn him around to grab the side of the pool for a few seconds before moving us to the middle of the pool for the lesson. This helps to train him to go to the side of the pool every time he enters it, with the hope that if he fell in, his trained instincts would guide him to turn back around and try get to the edge. Of course, you may wonder how a baby maneuvers through the water at all without drowning. In addition to learning how to blow bubbles in the water, one of the other things he's learning is to hold his breathe whenever he has water poured on his face or goes under the water. We are also teaching him to kick and to float on both his tummy and his back. Eventually he should be able to "doggie paddle" his way back to the edge of the pool using both his arms and his legs where he will be able to grab on to the edge, and (when he's old and stong enough) pull himself out. Floating is, of course, something that can help him stay above water with little exerted energy while he's still too weak to lift himself over the edge of the pool without help. These are the goals of the class. He takes these classes once a week at the Noonan Family Swim School and I usually supplement his practice at our apartment swimming pool twice a week, unless he has a cold or other issues prevent us.

I want to emphasize that I do NOT believe that Ethan can be "drown-proofed" by these swim classes. This is simply something else that I can do to help keep him safe IN ADDITION TO constant viligiance around water and other proper safety measures. I have no delusions of being able to FLAWLESSLY keep my child in my vision at all times, although I certainly intend to do my best- no one is perfect 100% of the time. I liken it to putting locks on bathroom cabinets- a place which he would rarely have access to outside of my supervision.

Think of it this way: If he fell into a pool without these lessons he's likely to simply flail, swallow tons of water, and start to sink in the time it would take me to run aross the pool area and jump in after him. Hopefully with these lessons he'll have the skills and knowledge to keep his head above water (or at least hold his breath) long enough for me to get him out with little more damage than a good scare (especially on my part) and some wet clothes.

Now, it's pretty difficult for me to imagine him falling into the pool at the crawling stage because our pool is 4 floors down and gated, but I began looking into these lessons the same week he started to scoot because I want him to have as much of these skills as possible by the time he is really toddling. It does take time and patience to teach these things to babies, so waiting until the skills are immediately needed seemed silly to me and would add unneccessary pressure to the teaching/learning experience.

The other reasons I enrolled in a class (as opposed to teaching him myself)are for the immediate presense and vigilance of currently trained lifeguards, the reassurance of someone who's taught MANY children these same techniques, and the fun social interaction, inspiration, and encouragement Ethan and I could find in our classmates.

I hope that I have sufficiently explained the classes, our reason for taking them, and assuaged any concerns you may have regarding them. If you would like more information on the Noonan Family Swim School, please check out their website. (I will try to post a link to it on this blog soon.) Also, if you have any further questions/concerns for me and Ethan in specific, feel free to email me.

Well, that is all for now. Ethan has his 9mth well baby check up this afternoon and after that I hope to take him for Bday pictures! Today is his 9mth Bday! I'll let you know how it goes in my next post.

3 Major Milestones! & 1 Major Event!

2006-05-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Major Event:

Ethan's whole world was tossed about when we moved apartments April 21st - 30th. The whole thing clearly confused & frightened him, causing him to not only become a momma's boy, but even to fuss any time I even turned my back on him, let alone walked a few steps away! As you can imagine, this did not make the process any easier or faster, but we managed and did our best to give him anything that would create "normal" for him (i.e. his lovie "lamby", his favorite toys, & his favorite dvd) while we packed and loaded and unloaded. Some days were better than others as usual, but it was a very trying time for him. We are now fully moved (though still unpacking) and he is finally starting to feel secure again. He is back to sleeping in his own crib again and doesn't fuss every time I leave the room.

The 1st Major Milestone:

On April 24th, 2006 Ethan turned 6 months old! That's half a year! That means we have LESS than a year before he will be ... *gasp*... ONE YEAR OLD!!!!

The 2nd Major Milestone:

One day (I forgot to write down the exact date- my bad) between April 23-26, 2006, Ethan CRUISED!!! For those of you who don't know, this is when a baby essentially walks by holding on to furniture without letting go and simply moves around the edges of the furniture. In Ethan's case it was our new bathtub. He's getting more and more proficient at pulling himself up by simply holding onto my hands (which I just hold firm and don't help lift) so when he did this once, I turned and positioned him so that he was holding onto the tub- expecting him simply to stand there strengthening his legs. To my utter shock and amazement, he began to side-step away from me and along the tub, moving his hands and feet in a very wobbly yet methodical fashion! He made it from the center of the tub to the far left, then decided to go to the far right, and then made it back to the center! At which point he tried to let go of both hands simulataneously and promptly fell on his bottom! I cannot tell you how shocked I STILL am that he did this! What's frustrating, however, is that I CANNOT get him to do it again!!! So his daddy likes to tease me that I dreamed the whole thing, but I swear to you that it DID happen!!!

The 3rd Major Milestone:

ETHAN GOT HIS FIRST TOOTH!!! The morning of May 2, 2006 I was allowing Ethan to knaw on my finger when I suddenly felt something sharp! After wrestling his little tongue to get a peek, I confirmed it! A little clear tooth was just poking through the gums! WOW! I got so excited I called everybody! My boy has his first tooth! Oh my goodness! He is getting SOOOOO grown up!

Be sure to check out the latest pics on our family pic blog:

www.denlyfamilypics.blogspot.com

(Remember: there is always a link to the picture blog in the top portion of this blog)

Special thanks to Julia for the Creative Night pics of Ethan & Levi!

Ethan Ethan Ethan

2006-04-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted much here lately. Here are some of the things you may like to know:

Ethan has completed his second round of vaccinations.

His latest weight measurement is 17lbs 12oz (hasn't been measured for length lately- will probably get measured at his 6mth appt w/in the next month).

He sits at a 90 degree angle now and can reach up, out, down, and around to get things without falling over (usually ;-D).

His stomach muscles are strong enough to pull himself up from a reclined (though not quite flat) position into a sitting position.

He lifts as high as physically possible up on his arms when he is on his tummy.

He still prefers to stand rather than lay on his tummy and we have accepted that he may skip crawling all together.

He can stand on his own if he is holding on to something about chest height (i.e. bookshelf, ottoman, desk chair, etc.) though he is still wobbly at this and needs a "catcher" behind him for his frequents topples. He tends to be the most vocal in this position- as if he's giving a dictation on everything he can see from there.

When on his tummy he turns like a top with his stomach in the same place, but the rest of him turning in a full circle. I video taped this in order to figure out how he does it. Turns out he'll reach to the right with both hands and grab the carpet then wiggle his little feet and behind until he is straight again. Then reach to the right and grab, wiggle wiggle wiggle, and repeat until he has slowly, but surely completed a full circle.

Because of his incredible delight and interest in solid foods, as well as his frequent spit ups, we went ahead and began feeding Ethan solids 3 times a day. This was the pediatrician's recommendation. If that didn't work, we'd have put him on Zantac, BUT it worked! The spit up is MUCH less frequent and the volume is down as well. Yeah! Also, he is THRILLED with being able to eat solids so much!
So far he has had rice cereal with breastmilk, steamed and pureed carrots, cooked and pureed apples (homemade applesauce). For financial as well as health reasons, I will be making the majority of Ethan's foods at home. However, jarred foods will be employed for longer travel (such as when we go to Massachusettes in May).

About 3 weeks ago Ethan provided me with the best teenager blackmail story! While I was applying Balmex on his little tush, mid-diaper change, he unfortunately peed.... into HIS MOUTH!! LOL YUCK!

5 month Birthday!!

2006-03-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

Today is Ethan's 5 month birthday! WOW! Part of me can't believe he's that young and the other part of me can't remember when he wasn't here. In fact I've almost forgotten what it's like to not smell like spit up! ;-D No, seriously, I can't imagine life without him- but maybe that' because he won't let me. At this very moment having a full blown tantrum because I am not playing with him.... okay not really. Despite his tantrums, the fact that he's earned the name "white fountain", and the fact that he is still waking up every 3 hours on most nights.... whenever he laughs, smiles, sneezes, or just sleeps... just one of those moments make up for all the rest.

Don't forget to check the new pic blog for the latest snapshots! Just click here!

What Ethan can do

2006-03-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

*Sit fairly steadily

*Walk without side to side rocking encouragement (just hold his hands and lean slighly forward)

*reach for things while sitting unsupported

*rolls deliberately & fairly frequently from tummy to back- no apparent interest in reversing directions

*opens his mouth when a spoon approaches it

*makes a face and pushes out food he doesn't like

*sleeps in his own crib at night

*sometimes goes 4 or more hours between feedings - not always at night

*pushes up on his hands (as opposed to his forearms) while on his belly & is starting to bring his knees up under himself and making crawl-like movements

Denly Family Pics!

2006-03-08T14:38:00.000-08:00

Because pictures take so long to load on dial up (which many people still use) I have decided to post all future pics on a separate blog:

www.DenlyFamilyPics.blogspot.com

This new blog will be dedicated exclusively to pictures.

I will be posting a permanent link to this new blog in the sidebar of this blog.

Enjoy!

Another First

2006-02-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ethan had his first pool experience.
The day was so warm that I thought it would be fun to take Ethan into the pool with me. With that in mind, I went out and bought little vinyl pants to go over his diaper and an infant raft for his to sit in..... well the vinyl pants don't seem to have tight enough (his diaper was soaked afterward) and he wanted nothing to do with his little raft- he wanted to be held. Oh well. It's just as well because although the day was plenty warm (high of mid 80s), the pool was surprisingly frigid. I hesitated to take him in, but I'd just spent 10 minutes skimming the pool of debris and 2hrs buying his pants and floaty thing. So I decided to give it a try.

Holding him against my chest, Ethan and I went into the 3ft-deep end and I started walking back and forth. The water came to the top of his little vinyl pants and he didn't seem too cold. I kept us moving and kept aware of his body temperature the entire time. Although his upper half (including cheeks and nose) remained typically warm, after about 10-15 minutes of walking back and forth, I dedided that was enough and we got out. I immediately swaddled him in a fluffy, oversize towel and we went back to the apartment.

Once inside, Ethan and I had a nice long, warm playtime bath session and that he LOVED! He was so cute! He discovered that if he curled himself into a ball with me holding his hands so that his head stayed above water, he could float! This and kicking his legs experimentally in the water were his favorite activities! He also seemed fascinated with (I assumed) the change of sound when his ears were under water.

Ethan has no fear of water - even when it goes over his eyes (although he does prefer that I wipe the water away from his eyes quickly).

Quick Update 02/06/06

2006-02-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

Ethan now giggles like a little boy more and more often (as opposed to infant happy sounds- although those are still more common).

Ethan now scoots on his back frequently (just never when the camera is on!).

He has also scooted on his tummy two times in a row now and even once in front of other people!

He sits up without support more and more often and for longer periods of time before falling over. He'll even pull himself away from any back support in order to get a closer look at something. However he does not pull himself UP into a sitting position from the floor yet. That's still a long ways off I think.

Crawling is expected in the next few weeks. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Also Ethan has a new view on life- from his new jogging stroller courtesy his Nanna & Grandpa Carlson. Thank you! He loves it!

Oh no! Ethan is officialy mobile!!!

2006-01-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

So you remember that wonderful "Mega Toy" we bought Ethan? Well, he still loves it. There's just one small problem: We can no longer put him in it and walk away confident that he will stay there while we wash dishes or gather laundry.

You see, last week we did just that. I was taking a shower and Luke was gathering laundry while Ethan was playing contentedly in his mega toy- or so we thought. Luke starts hearing fussing and figures that Ethan has grown bored with his toy. So after a few seconds, he goes down the hall to the living room where Ethan was playing and.... he's not in his toy! Low and behold the child had dug his heels in and scooted on his back in sort of a circlular fashion and ended up.... under the stroller!!! His fussing made it obvious that this was not his destination of choice, but apparently one leg is stronger than the other! ROTFL!!! Subsequently we no longer assume that Ethan will remain where he is put. And yes, he continues to scoot in circles! LOL! Of course, as with many infant milestones, he has so far refused to repeat this process for any camera.

However, there ARE two OTHER things we've managed to capture!

First, Ethan now sits up!! Not for very long mind you, but long enough to take a picture! And I think that's pretty amazing for a 3 month old! (Yes, I'll post the pic just as soon as Luke gets it onto the computer.)

Secondly, Ethan is beginning to learn to scoot on his tummy!! OH BOY! On three separate occasions now, Ethan has figured out how to dig in his toes and shove his little body forward about two inches while on his tummy! Of course, he hasn't got this move combined with lifting his head yet, so he rubs his face and gets real mad at the carpet. Thus he has yet to do this action twice in a row. PHEW!

Off Topic-Too Weird

2006-01-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

I’ve been tagged by my good friend archshrk for the weirdness meme that is making the rounds recently. The directions are: Make a post that lists five weird things about yourself. Then tag five others and tell them they’ve been tagged by commenting on their blog.

So here goes:

1) I've been knitting the same lap blanket for over 10 yrs!!!
2) I put yogurt on saltine crackers, string cheese, & apples.
3) I can't stand it when someone takes a chunk out of icecream, butter, creamcheese, etc. Instead I stroke the knife or spoon across the surface of whatever so that the top stays smooth. (no valleys/craters allowed)
4) Mr. Rogers annoys the...heck out of me. I have always refused to watch him - even with the kids I've watched.
5) I actually enjoy doing situps.

Wow! That was more difficult to come up with than I expected!

3 months TODAY!

2006-01-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe my Ethan is 3 whole months old!
On the other hand I can't believe he was here (in the outside world) just 3 months ago!
I squeezed in an hour today to get his picture taken at WalMart. Only they won't get back until February 15th! :-< Oh well. When I get them, I'll post it.
Wow! Three Whole Months!

Is he still breathing??

2006-01-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD! My baby went 9 hours between feedings last night and actually SLEPT FOR 7 1/2 OF THEM!!! HALLELUJAH!

Ethan ate at 10:30pm and was asleep by midnight. He stayed asleep until 7:30am!!! Of course, when Luke woke up at 6:30am (and then woke me up) we realized what had just happened and the first thing Luke did was check that he was still breathing and didn't have a fever! LOL! Adorably enough, Luke was still concerned that perhaps we'd let him sleep too long and should wake him up to eat. I felt that it was fine to let him sleep, but because Luke seemed so concerned I got up and went to the computer to look online for any guidelines on the issue. All I could find was that 90% of babies 3mths old (which Ethan almost is) sleep 6-8hrs at night. Also, that as long as he was alert, active, and generally happy when he was awake- then he was fine. All of which could be said about Ethan yesterday. You can add to that the fact that he's been staying up FAR longer than usual during the day for the last 3 days or so, and I think we FINALLY have a pattern! Woohoo! PTL!

BRING ON THE SLEEP!!!

Baby hurts = Mommy hurts

2006-01-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 13th was Ethan's second pediatrician appointment. All went well. The doctor, nurse, and resident all commented on how advanced Ethan was for his age- both physically and developmentally. In fact the resident, after placing Ethan on his tummy, commented, "Wow! He's practically crawling already!" Which is true. The only thing Ethan can't seem to figure out is how to turn his toes under to grip the carpet. Heaven help us when this kid gets mobile!

Now for the sad news: Ethan also had his first vaccination that day. :-( He didn't cry at the initial prick of the needle, but when they started pushing in the liquid the poor baby was crying so sadly! He only cried about 1 minute, but it was SO hard to take! I teared up myself and I'm not sure how I actually kept from completely balling except that I was maybe too busy trying to comfort him. As far as we can tell there were no adverse effects- except maybe a tad more crankiness for the next couple of hours.
As NOT fun as that was, we had to repeat the experience all over again on Tuesday for a different vaccine, and we'll get to do it again next week. :-( Vaccines suck! - okay not really, but I hope they come up with a better way some day.