Growing like a weed (a big one)

I can't believe how big Ethan is getting...although I can't say it's a huge surprise - he eats constantly! Last week he gained 14 ounces between Monday and Saturday. He's 12 pounds now and shows no signs of slowing down!

The picture below is the picture we took as we were taking Ethan home from the hospital. He is SO SMALL compared to his car seat! You can hardly see him buried in that blanket.

This picture is taken at 7 weeks.

The two pics below are just to illustrate how smiley he is. I know I keep posting stuff like this, but it's so fascinating how his personality is developing so fast!

Haha..this last picture was taken after he took a bath. The side part was not intentional, but it was absolutely hilarious! He totally reminds me of one of my old bosses. Minus the milk dribble on the side of his mouth.

More videos

The first video is something Ethan loves to do. I guess you could call it his favorite past time. His swing is pretty much the only place (other than my arms with something in his mouth) that he is content in, so I stick him in there whenever I need a break or need to get something done. When he is ready to eat again (normally 10-20 minutes later) I start to hear grunting. When I look in his swing, this is a familiar sight - Ethan licking the side of it thinking it is food! It's hilarious and still has not gotten old for me to see.

The second video is just Ethan being his wonderful, cute self. We love this little guy!

Passing the Big One

This is Ethan at 7 weeks doing what my dad calls "Passing the Big One." What in the world does that mean? You might ask. I think you'll figure it out.

First Bath

The last couple days with Ethan have been a blast, full of milestones that are happening almost too quickly! The other day I realized we don't have to give Ethan sponge-baths anymore (duh!), but that we can submerge him in water and let him kick around before bedtime. Well, I got excited about making this a part of his nightly routine, thinking it would be fun for both of us, but also that he might sleep better. Hmmm...

This is Ethan pre-bath time. He kind of liked the freedom of not having a diaper on and being wrapped up in a towel.


This is Ethan when we first put him in the tub. He was really confused at first and didn't know what to do with himself. Then he decided he definitely did NOT like it, and we had to finish the bath as soon as possible!


This is a pic of Billy trying to wash Ethan off quickly and me being a pest wanting to document this momentous occasion! Haha...this picture is just priceless - it definitely depicts how Ethan was feeling at that moment in time!


Also....bedtime was NOT a soothing experience that put him right to sleep. He was up for another 2 hours after that suffering trauma from us sticking him in the bathtub. Apparently the lesson is to not traumatize my child before bed..

Ethan's First Walk

Our little man has been growing like a weed lately..I just noticed this today when I was looking at him compared to his newborn pictures! This is a good thing though, because I LOVE when babies are super-chunks. In fact, that is my current goal for him, that he can have the title SuperChunk! Below is a picture of him beginning to fill out his carseat.


Below is a shot of his neck/chin. It all just blends together!


Today at 5 1/2 weeks, I took Ethan out on his first real walk around Salem. My friend Mary-Anne and I walked across the footbridge and just had a good time getting some fresh air! Well...I did. Mary-Anne's allergies didn't exactly agree with the pollen in the air..



After our walk, we noticed some gorgeous wild flowers growing by the bridge! Mary-Anne's dog Jackson had a great time sniffing all the flowers as we picked bouquets that neither one of us ended up using! Turns out they're so much prettier IN the ground!

First REAL Smile!

This post is dedicated to Ethan's first REAL smile! Sure, he has smiled a good bit since he was born, but never at anything I could see. Mostly he would smile and then something would come out the other end! However, today he made eye contact and smiled back at someone! I have realized that these little milestones are really only fascinating to myself and Billy, but I just have to share how exciting this is for us! Thank you to Debbie's Mom (whose name escapes me at the moment)...when I saw him smile back at her it was one of the proudest moments of my life. Below is a random photo I snatched of our little guy smiling at something that must be amusing to him (and don't judge the baby acne! Or the clutter in the background).

Melody's 26th Par-tay!

Our good friend Melody celebrated her 26th birthday this last week with a BBQ. Seriously, BBQ's are the best, so thank you Melody for choosing this activity to commemorate your birth. The Shambaughs' house was filled with food and kids, and it was an absolute blast!

Below is Ethan next to Jenna (Stephanie Shambaugh's baby) who is only a couple weeks older than Ethan. I'm not sure if this picture does her justice, but Jenna is one of the cutest, CHUBBIEST babies I have ever seen! We had to get a picture of Ethan next to her. We have also decided that Ethan will someday date and marry Jenna (when they're 25 of course), so be excited about their wedding slide show.


Below is a picture of Callie (the Thuessons' baby) trying to get at the babies. Haha, she was so determined!


Below is a pic of Melody getting ready to blow her candles out, although she didn't have to worry about missing any candles, she had plenty of help - see pic below.


What is it with little kids and candles/cake?? They swarmed that thing like a pine tree on Christmas!


Below is a picture of Billy that he creepily took sometime between Melody's birthday and now. I found it and thought I would include it in this post! Haha...we'll see how long it takes him to realize this. Seriously, I can't wait to hear his explanation for snapping this shot!

E-dawg

I don't think I've ever had something that has entertained me as much as Ethan has! Which is good and bad - good because it is just impossible to be bored - bad because I now have horrible conversation skills with others. I keep forgetting that something that is so hilarious or awesome to me is lost on most people. So, apologies to my wonderful friends and family that will have to feign excitement on my behalf - you guys are awesome!

Below is a classic picture of our little baby konked out on Billy's chest - which is still one of his favorite spots to sleep. Ethan fights sleep like it's the devil, and that is why this picture is so funny. You can see Billy tried to appease him with too much milk (hence the spit-up) and then with a pacifier, which Ethan apparently wasn't too interested in. Finally, he must have decided it was time to close his eyes.


Below is one of Ethan's first baths - in the sink. I believe this is the first time I ever gave him a mohawk. Doing his hair and dressing him is one of my favorite things to do - which is a good thing, as he has many outfit changes every day. Also, you can see him trying to eat his hand. I believe food is the only thing on this baby's mind!


So I sent this picture to my parents and was joking with them about how absolutely HUGE Ethan's eyes are sometimes! I believe they might actually be mine (the only trait he may have from me), in fact, my dad used to call me his bug-eyed booboo! My dad had one of his computer geek friends photoshop him next to the guinea pig from "Bedtime Stories." Haha...there is a striking resemblance.