The thing I have been dreading for a long time. Wednesday morning I heard Ethan moving around in his crib, checked the video monitor, grabbed my phone (like any good mom) and saw this:
“Oh hai mommy!”
He is way too big. And I don’t like it one bit!
(sorry the pictures are so blurry!)
On June 10, 2011, Jason and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary! The day itself wasn’t all that exciting – as life is much different now with a baby! I had to work that weekend, so we got to have our date night the next weekend, on the 18th. My parents came up to watch Ethan so we could have the day to ourselves. One of our favorite things to do together is eat good food, so we decided to try The Oceanaire. Neither of us are huge seafood fans, but we wanted to try something different. We went all out, of course, with cocktails, appetizers, entrees and sides. I had shrimp scampi and Jason had fish, and all of our food was delicious! It was well worth the money and we had a great time pretending we were Top Chef judges, as we normally do when we are eating good food. They surprised us with a Baked Alaska for dessert! We had planned to go to the Chocolate Cafe afterwards (for Almond Joy ice cream!) but it was raining and we were full, so we decided to head home. We stopped by Garden Ridge (yes, we went to Garden Ridge on our 5 year anniversary celebration, we are lame!) to look for some patio furniture. We decided to get some wooden patio furniture since the 5 year anniversary “gift” is wood, but we haven’t found any we like yet.
Of course we forgot to take pictures, so I will leave you with 5 years of memories. Jason and I feel so blessed to have had such an amazing 5 years together, and we can’t wait to see what God has in store in the next 5 years!
Our engagement – June 26, 2005 (I think? I always forget). Yes I am wearing pajamas, and yes we do look like we’re 12!
Our wedding – June 10, 2006 at Eagle Pointe in Bloomington, IN.
Our honeymoon – Turks and Caicos.
In August we welcomed our first children, Ginger and Rufus.
On August 17, 2007 we became an Aunt and Uncle to Miss Julianne Grace.
Summer 2008 we built a house….
…and I graduate from Pharmacy School, took my boards, and started my job at St. Vincent. Jason started his job at Interactive Intelligence shortly after.
In 2009 we needed a vacation and went to Ft. Lauderdale!
In 2010 we prepared for the birth of our first baby…
…and we welcomed Ethan Daniel into the world on October 18, 2010.
And now we are loving life as a family of 3!
Ethan has been a very busy little guy this past month. He is amazing us every day with how much he is changing! This is what our days are looking like lately:
6-7am – wake up, nurse, snuggle in bed with mommy and daddy. 8am – breakfast, usually oatmeal and fruit. 9:30am – nurse, then nap. His morning nap has been anywhere from 1-2 hours lately. 12pm – Lunch. Fruit or yogurt. We usually run around after lunch. 1pm – Nurse 2:30pm – Afternoon nap. If he had a good morning nap he will sleep about an hour. If he had a short morning nap he will sleep longer. 4pm – Nurse. 5:30pm – Dinner. 7:30pm – Nurse then bed
Eating – Ethan has really taken off on solid food over the past few weeks. He is eating 2-4oz three times a day. He loves yogurt and peaches. He is starting to learn to feed himself as well. This is going very slowly, as he does not like the feeling of food on the back of his throat. He frequently gags on things like puffs and crackers, but he is getting much better. It is pretty cute to watch him pick up a cracker, crunch into it, then get a look on his face like “why did this toy turn into a million pieces in my mouth?” He is learning to move the food in his mouth, moosh it up and swallow it. He still does not have any teeth but he is learning to mash with his gums. He is getting more proficient with the sippy cup but still thinks it is mainly a toy. He actually does pretty well drinking out of a regular cup when I help him.
Sleeping – Ethan is sleeping great! Most nights he is sleeping from 8pm until 6 or 7am. He is taking great naps. Of course he occasionally still has a bad night, wakes up really early or takes bad naps. But overall I am amazed at how well he is doing now. It is great to put him in bed at night and not have to worry him waking up. One negative (which I anticipated) is that he only really sleeps well in his crib now. He does not sleep well in the car. Sometimes I can transfer him from the car to his bed, but he usually doesn’t sleep for much longer. I feel like we have to be home for all of his naps, but it is ok with me!
Activity – Ethan is on the move! He has been “mobile” for a few weeks now – going from sitting, to belly, back to sitting. Over the past few days he has been moving forward on his hands and knees. His crawling is still very course, but I have a feeling he is going to be quite graceful soon! He is also loving to stand. Though it is very exciting, it makes me nervous now that I have to constantly keep my eye on him so he doesn’t get into something dangerous. I have also found him sitting up in his crib playing when he should be napping. I dread the day when I go to get him in the morning and he is standing in his crib! He is not able to pull up on his own yet, but he sure is trying. He is loving all of his toys, especially his vtech sit to stand, his jumperoo and anything he can chew on. He is also recently interested in books. He will actually sit and let me read to him. We have signed him up for the summer reading program at our library, but I’m not sure how far we will get. It is difficult to keep him entertained for too long with books! He is still mbabbling and making funny noises, but contains to prefer saying “dadadadada” or making a deep “heeeeeeeeaaahh” sound.
Ethan is such a happy, funny little guy. He is such a joy and makes Jason and I so happy. He is developing quite the personality. I love the way his face lights up when I pick him up from daycare or get him after a nap. I love how he “talks” to his pacifier. He loves getting kisses and loves to give them back (more like slobbering/licking, but close enough). As much as I would love for him to stay this age forever, I can’t wait to see what he will do next!
I have been waiting for his hair to get long enough for me to faux-hawk it! His necklace is an amber teething necklace.
He loves spinning the wheels on his toys!
Watch out cats – the baby is mobile!
Giving daddy lovins on Father’s Day!
Hanging out with Grampy.
It’s no surprise that babies require a lot of stuff. And anyone who walks into Babies r us for the first time knows how overwhelming it can be. So I thought I would put together a list of my favorite baby items for those of you who are expecting or plan on starting a family soon!
1. Bumbleride Flyer
Hands down, my favorite baby item. A lot of people start out with the “travel system” – a carseat and stroller that work together. This wasn’t an option for me because the stroller was so heavy, I couldn’t pick it up! Yes, I’m wimpy, I know. I did a lot of research on strollers, and couldn’t be more pleased with our selection. I’m hoping this will be the only stroller I ever own. I love it because: it comes with an infant seat (carseat) attachment, it can be folded down with the carseat attachment on, it easily folds down tot he ground, the handle bar switches positions so you can push the stroller with the baby facing away from you or towards you (which is great to keep the baby out of the sun), the seat reclines to almost flat, and it’s super cute! We have no need for a jogging stroller (goodness knows I don’t jog) but I’ve heard lots of great things about the Indie as well. The flite is also a good cheaper option, but I really love my swivel handle.
2. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets
It’s hard to explain why a blanket is so awesome. But it is. I used to think that anything Aden + Anais was just overpriced and unnecessary. Luckily I got a 4 pack of these blankets as a gift. They are the perfect blanket and can be used for a variety of things. They are big enough to cover a whole car seat, use as a nursing cover or swaddle a baby. They are thin and breathable. I loved them so much I ended up buying Ethan the security blankets (second picture). He always loved to chew on these blankets when he was tiny, and now he sleeps with the lovey version every night. And I’m very glad I ended up with these because without fail he ends up pulling it up in his face at night. For our next baby I will definitely be investing in another set of these, just because. Target sells them as well for a bit cheaper than you can get other places.
3. Cloth diapers
I will be doing a whole post on these – coming soon!
4. Rock and Play sleeper
Ethan cried every time he was put down when he was a newborn – unless he was in his rock and play sleeper. This is pretty much the only thing he would sleep in for about 3 months. I probably would have died without this thing.
5. Ergo Baby Carrier
I’m also pretty sure I would have died without this thing too. When Ethan was a very fussy newborn, I would pop him in my Ergo, walk around, and he would calm down or fall asleep. I used a Moby wrap when he was really small, but once he got bigger the Ergo was much easier to get on and more comfortable. I would use it when we went to Target to grocery shop (because if he was asleep he would cry in the carseat) and he was happy as a clam. I still use it when he is being fussy or I need to get something done around the house. I can put him on my back now that he is bigger, and he thinks it’s pretty awesome. If you are interested in any kind of baby carrier, I highly, highly recommend paying the price for this one!
This past weekend, the three of us headed to St. Louis. Andy, Jason’s sister-in-law’s brother (and also a good friend of Jason) got married and we got to see Jason’s family. We headed out on Friday, and of course our baby that doesn’t sleep decided to take a 3 hour nap right before we left! So I had to sit in the back and keep him entertained since he was wide awake the whole time (he ended up napping for about 45 minutes). On Friday evening we spent some time at a park where Ethan got to see lots of people (and stay up way past his bedtime!). Saturday we went out to lunch and went to the wedding. I wanted to go to Cotton Babies (a cloth diaper store in St Louis) but it didn’t quite work out. Sunday we went to church, went to lunch and then headed home. He was good and tired and slept about half the way home (2 hours) then had to be entertained the rest of the way home. He was ready to get out of his carseat! Overall he did great on the trip, even though his schedule was all messed up, he was up very late every night and didn’t always get naps when he needed them!
It was so fun to see Ethan, Julianne, and Lorelei play together. Julianne really enjoyed loving on her little cousin. She kept saying, “Oh Ethan, I love you!” and allowed him to give her a big slobbery kiss. He also liked to grab her hair, though she didn’t seem to mind. Another fun thing about having them together was we realized how much Ethan and Lorelei sound alike. Their cry and laugh sounds so similar – sometimes I wasn’t sure who it was! They also have very similar facial expressions. It will be so fun to see if that continues as they get older.
Overall we had such a great time! We were so proud of how well Ethan did and we always enjoy getting to spend time with Jason’s family. We look forward to seeing them all again soon!
On our way – looking handsome in his big boy carseat!
Jason, Ethan, and Julianne enjoying the swing.
Slobbery kisses.
Precious.
Happy boy.
Our best attempt at a group photo.
GET ME OUT OF THIS CARSEAT!!
So happy to be home!
I can’t believe another month has passed – Ethan is 7 months old! Ethan is so much fun these days, I can hardly stand it. I would be just fine if he would stay this age forever. Here is what is going on with our little man.
Eating – Ethan is still eating every 3 hours and seems to be past his very distracted stage. When we are out and about, sometimes he isn’t interested, but he does great at home. He is still a little unsure about solid food. So far he has tried: Oatmeal and rice cereal, apples, pears, prunes, bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, peas and most recently yogurt. I tried to give him plain whole milk yogurt sweetened with fruit, but he wanted nothing to do with it. But he is doing pretty well with Yo baby (of course, because it is sweetened with sugar!). He is also very into letting us know when he does not want something in his mouth (spoon, bottle, paci) by batting it away. Some days he does really well and others he just eats a few bites (and does lots of angry grunting). I think it has much more to do with his mood than whether or not he is hungry. I’m trying not to push him too hard, since he is still little. I think once he decides he wants it he will take off! I also give him table food on occasion (crackers, toast, puffs) and he is much more interested in throwing it on the floor than eating it. But he is still gaining weight and that’s what is important!
Sleeping – I am happy to report to Ethan is sleeping much better! A few weeks ago we decided it was time to do sleep training and he did very well. As long as we put him down with a fully belly and very drowsy, he rolls over and goes right to sleep and stays asleep! Sometimes he sleeps until the morning (5:30 or 6) and some nights he wakes up between 2-3 to eat and then goes back down until 6 or so. He is an early riser, but I will take it. His naps are still very short during the day. Occasionally he will nap for an hour, but it is usually 30-45 minutes. The good part is we can be out and about during the day and he will sleep just fine in his carseat, so I don’t have to worry about being home for naptime. Maybe one of these days he will start taking longer naps, but I really don’t care as long as he is sleeping at night! Jason and I are also really enjoying our evenings together instead of putting Ethan back to sleep every 30 minutes.
Activity – Ethan is an active little man. He loves being out and about and gets quite bored at home with me all day. He still loves daycare. He is sitting up like a champ and starting to reach for things while sitting up and sometimes falling forward. He is starting to make some crawling motions, but still isn’t very happy on his belly. He loves banging on things like the table and throwing toys on the floor or across the room, and just being destructive. He is all boy already! He is such a happy little guy. He is constantly smiling and laughing. He is also constantly drooling up a storm, but we have yet to see any teeth. He can roll back to front and front to back very well, but would prefer to be sitting up. This week Ethan went to his first Gymboree class and loved it! It is still hilarious to us that we have a little social butterfly that hates sleep – the completely opposite of Jason and me!
Work has been very difficult for me lately. We have a lot of very sick babies and I am reminded daily how lucky I am to have a healthy baby. I’ve also had a really hard time leaving him all day long when I work evening shift on Tuesdays. But I am so thankful I get to be home with him as much as I am!
Ethan is such a happy precious little boy. I am trying to soak up every second as I know how quickly he changes!
Here are a few pictures from this week. Since I take so many pictures, I will be posting more at mobleyweb.com/photos.
Not thrilled with tummy time.
Holding his bottle like a big boy.
Ethan LOVES bathtime. He would stay in the bath all night long.
Playing with his new blocks.
Thanks to Jason and Ethan, I had a wonderful first Mother’s day! Jason got up with Ethan when he woke up in the morning and they made me french toast, eggs and bacon. We ate together as a family. Ethan even got to try some french toast (which he promptly gagged on and threw up). We went to church then went to lunch at Chipotle. Then we went to Costco and did some shopping. Ethan loved sitting in the cart, looking around and smiling at everyone. We came home and took a walk, which Ethan did not enjoy for some reason. Then we got to Skype with Jason’s parents. It was a wonderful, relaxing day!
I remember when I was little asking my mom on Mother’s day why there wasn’t a kid’s day – she told me every day was kid’s day! I obviously didn’t understand that at the time, but I sure do now. It’s amazing how much meaning this day had to me this year. Ethan adds so much joy to my life and I love being his mom!
Rocking his sunglasses after church
Enjoying the view at Costco.
Mommy and Ethan
My gift from Ethan that he made at school
My gift to myself!
Well, this isn’t a very fun milestone, but Ethan has his first ear infection. He has been snotty and coughing for several weeks but seemed ok otherwise. Thursday I got a call from daycare that he had a fever. We went to the doctor and he got antibiotics and seems to be getting better. He was quite pitiful on Friday and Saturday and pretty much slept all day, which is very unlike him! He has been tugging on his ear the past few days so it must still be bothering him.
In other news, despite his ear infection, he has been sleeping much better at night. We decided to try sleep training again and he is doing much better! He has slept through the entire night several times (about 11 hours) but also wakes up to eat once sometimes. It is hard to know why he is waking up since he probably doesn’t feel well. But it is still nice to not spend the entire evening trying to get him to go to sleep. He still isn’t napping very long (about 30 mins), but I’m hoping that will improve over time!
Here are some pictures of our poor little sick boy. The poor kid didn’t care where he was sleeping.
Ethan is half a year old! I cannot believe it! It is so crazy to think about how much he has changed since he was born. His 6 month stats are: weight 16lbs 6oz (31%), height 26 inches (36%), head circumference 43.5 (44%). He handled his shots like a champ per usual!
Here is what our little man is up to these days:
Eating: Ethan is still a great eater, though sometimes he is much more interested in the world around him than his meal. He is still nursing every 3 hours during the day and eating two meals – usually breakfast and dinner. About two weeks ago he started showing signs that he was really ready. He gets oatmeal and fruit for breakfast and rice and vegetables for dinner. His favorites are sweet potatoes and rice cereal. I know a lot of people skip rice cereal these days, but I talked to my lactation consultant and she said the protein content starts to decrease in breastmilk around 6 months, so I wanted to make sure he was getting protein. Luckily he loves brown rice cereal! It is so cute to watch him eat. He opens his mouth and lunges toward the spoon. He still doesn’t eat very much at each meal (about 1 TBSP rice or oatmeal and 1 oz fruit or veggie) and some meals he wants nothing to do with it, but I’m pleased with how well he is doing so far.
Sleeping: Ethan still really struggles to sleep! Pretty much the only way he sleeps well is in bed with us. He will also take a nice long morning nap if I lay down with him, but only nap for 30 or 40 minutes on his own. Right now we are just trying to make do until we find the right time to do sleep training.
Activity: Ethan is such a happy baby! Unless he is tired, he is always smiling. He is doing so much now, it is hard to list it all here. I will make some separate posts on all his “skills.” He is sitting up on his own and loves that view of the world!
His new favorite game with daddy!
Playing with his new favorite toy (thanks Julie!)
He loves sweet potatoes!
Hanging out with Oma
Ethan loves his sippy cup and his high chair!
He is much more interested in chewing on it and playing with it than drinking out of it!
Comparison: my sweet little boy at 5 days old:
Ethan had his 6 month pictures taken last week. Grammy and Oma went with me. Ethan was such an angel all day – except when he had his pictures taken! He wasn’t upset, but he wouldn’t smile. He just kept looking at us like “why are none of you holding me? What is going on?” He also spit up in the middle of the pictures, so we had to resort to some naked baby time. Luckily we still got several great pictures!
