Christmas 2010

 

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year and I couldn't be more grateful for such wonderful family.  Christmas actually started when Dad, Steve, and Linda arrived at our house Christmas Eve afternoon.  We opened gifts, ate a few appetizers, and cleaned up Maggie puke before heading to Uncle Chris' house for the Ciolino family Christmas Eve. 

Ethan had a wonderful time hanging out with his little cousins Breanna and JT, climbing the steps, and running all over. 

Ethan was even a good boy while watching a memorial video for Pops.  He did, however, decide to call it quits at the end of the video when his much anticipated meltdown occurred.  Since Ethan promptly fell asleep once snugly buckled into his car seat, Chris and I decided to drive through Sharon Woods to see the lights.  It was pretty neat and I think Ethan will really love it once he gets a bit older.

Christmas morning arrived bright and early at 6:45 this morning when "dadada" was heard over the monitor.  After chowing down on a quick breakfast and turning on the Christmas music, the gift opening began. Ethan's favorite part was opening gift bags and playing with the tissue paper.  He didn't even attempt to open any wrapped gifts. After opening all the gifts, we ate our traditional breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls, showed off our new toys to Grandma Connie on Skype, then headed to the Becker family Christmas. 

With all the people and gifts, Ethan was so excited to run around Patty and Ralph's house, chasing and being chased.  With only a very short nap today, the meltdown occurred early so we headed home.  Overall, a wonderful Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

13 Months!

I turned 13 months old today.  How cool is that?!  I've really started to show off my amazing language abilities.  I can sign dog and duck but I say much more.  Here are the words I can say:  dada, mama, dog, duck, Maggie (agge), hi, uh oh, bye, bye bye, and baby.  I show off new words almost every now. 

Oh, and I don't drink out of bottles anymore.  Mommy stopped giving them to me a few weeks ago and I just drink milk out of a sippy cup now.  Can you believe I don't need a bottle to nap anymore?!  Crazy! 

Speaking of naps, I only take one now.  I used to get so mad when anybody tried to make me take an afternoon nap that I would just sit there and scream the whole time.  Now I just take one nap in the middle of the day for an hour or two and everybody's happy.  I showed them who is in charge!

I'm also getting two more teeth.  They're the really big ones right in front.  To celebrate, Mommy and I walk around singing "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth."  I wonder if Santa will make these things come in before Christmas because they sure are painful.  Sometimes I'm fussy until I get that yummy pink medicine.  Then all the ouchiness goes away for awhile.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas.  I'll write again soon to tell you all about the fun time I have celebrating.

Love,
Ethan

Happy Thanksgiving

This year I have so much to be thankful for.  God has been good to us this year.

I am grateful for my wonderful little boy.  He is the light of our lives and has taught us so much about unconditional love.

I am grateful for my husband.  He works so hard to provide for our family and tries so hard to be the perfect person for us.  He really is such a wonderful daddy to our son.

I am thankful for my family who takes such good care of us despite the fact that we're grown adults.

I am thankful for my job.

I am thankful for my home.

I am thankful for Chris' job.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ethan's 1 Year Dr. Apt.

Ethan went to the doctor yesterday for his 1 year well visit.  He weighs 22 lbs. 13 oz (50th percentile), is 30.5 inches long (75th percentile), and has a 19 inch head (90th percentile!)  Poor boy had to get a finger prick to check hemoglobin levels and four shots.  Luckily, he had two nurses do the shots at the same time to get it over with quickly.  Overall, Ethan did very well.  He only cried for a minute or two and went on his merry way.

Doc was pleased most with Ethan's language abilities and said that he's pretty advanced with his actual spoken words and signs.  Momma Bear was beaming with pride.

Happy 1st Birthday, Ethan!

What a bitter-sweet post to write.  In fact, I've been dreading writing this one for the past few weeks now.  Now that you have turned one, I feel as if my little baby is gone and I have a real, life toddler on my hands.  This past year has been a whirlwind for both yourself and us.  Our lives have changed from being a tiny family of four (your fursisters!) to a family of 5!  You are the center of our lives.  We strive to see you smile each and every day and fist pump the air with each new achievement you perfect.  When you were born, I never would have imagined just how much our lives were about to change and now it is hard for me to remember what life was like before you.  You mean the world to your Daddy and me.  You have captured the hearts of so many and are certainly one loved little boy.  Thank you for bringing us joy and love every single day.  We love you so much.

Now for the update: 

You will go to the doctor in a few weeks for what is sure to be a not so fun visit.  I'm guessing you weigh around 23 lbs. and are 32 inches tall.  I'll update after your visit

You continued to be a wonderful sleeper.  That is, until daylight savings began a few days ago.  While you slept your typical number of hours, we did NOT enjoy having you wake up for the day at 5:30 am!  And those evenings, woah, rough!  7:30 could not come quickly enough!  Luckily, you adjusted quickly and were back on schedule after just two days...luckily!

Now that you are one, we have transitioned you to cow's milk.  You wanted nothing to do with formula so Mommy decided to go ahead with whole milk despite the doctor's recommendations (shhhh, don't tell on me!)  You get two bottles of milk per day and still get nursed in the morning and at night.  I'm not sure how long we'll continue nursing twice a day but it works for us for now.  Our next step is to get rid of the bottle and use just a sippy.  While you happily drink water from one now, you want nothing to do with milk in a cup.

You continue to wear mostly 12 month clothes with the occasional 6-9 month pants. Diapers are still size 4 and shoes, size 3.

You have really mastered walking around.  I don't think I see you crawl anymore unless you're trying to sneak up on the dogs :)  You have actually started running a bit when you get really excited and what to get to an object or person quickly.  Oh the joys I see coming our way!

I can now say without a doubt that your first word is dog.  Whenever you see a dog, you automatically smack your upper thigh and shout out a little "doh doh doh."  I love when you pet the dogs or stuffed animals and say "awwwww."  Too cute!  Within the past few days it seems as if you are attempting the sign for duck.  Your favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? and you love to watch Mommy and Daddy sign all the animals to you.

This past month has brought a bit of sadness to our lives.  Your Great Grandpa Ciolino passed away on Oct. 18th.  You had the pleasure of meeting him a few times in your short life and liked when he held you.  There are times when I think you resemble Great Grandpa.  I'm so thankful that Grandpa got to meet you before passing away.  He will be missed greatly.

You celebrated your very first Halloween this past month and boy, were you the cutest little doggie I've ever seen!

Your 1st birthday party will be in just a few days and our home will be packed with the people whose lives you have touched.  I can't wait to celebrate your life!  Happy Birthday sweet baby boy.  We love you so much.

Happy Halloween

Isn't he the cutest puppy dog you've ever seen?!  Sorry Molly and Maggie but it's true.

Here are our family pumpkins.  We actually forgot to carve pumpkins until the very last second.  Hence the slight messiness of them.

I Don't Want to Forget

*  Ethan can point out eyes.  Yours and the eyes on stuffed animals.

*  When Chris plays "Bug Song" on his cell, Ethan starts to sing "da da da da da."  Too cute!

*  When Ethan wakes up in the morning, he continuously calls for "mamamamama" until I come in the room.

*  Weight Watchers pumpkin muffins are DELICIOUS!  Not only do they taste wonderful but the house smells perfect.

Curious

A sharp eye gazes on the minuscule object as it snails across the living room carpet.  Godzilla's paw pounces upon the tiny creature.  Passing back and forth between furry hands.  Nudged with the cold, wet nose of a much bigger being.  She only wants to play but she soon learns the very difficult lesson of life's fragility.  Maggie's little bug friend has roamed its last few inches on this earth.

My Baby You'll Be

Tonight I was struck with the rare opportunity to rock my sweet baby boy to sleep.  The eyes that typically drift slowly to sleep refused to nod off tonight.  Feet kicked, arms flailed, and little beady eyes stared at the window as the sun drifted below the horizon.  As the nursing session commenced, rather than remain asleep like usual, darling "dah dah dah"s and "blah blah blah"s filled the silent night.  This tiny toddler body crawled up my torso, rested his head in the crook of my arm, and wrapped those long longs around my abdomen.  I was overcome with memories of those early months when my itty bitty infant needed Mommy in order to fall asleep.  My finger tips that used to grasp the bottoms of tiny newborn feet, patted the padded diaper of a growing toddler.  I remember so easily how his entire little body would fit snugly inside the length of my arm.  Tonight I am reminded of these words from one of my favorite baby books, Love You Forever: 


"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

11 Months

Here I thought you were a big boy last month.  How wrong was I?!  I absolutely cannot believe the advancements you've made in just four short weeks.

You went to the doctor after your stair accident on Friday and you now weigh 21 lbs. 2 oz.

Thank goodness your sleep habits returned to normal this month.  You have not been waking up in the middle of the night which has made everyone so much happier.  You tend to fall asleep at 7:30 and sleep until 6:30 or so.  Most mornings you wake up on your own before we're ready for you but Daddy hangs with you for awhile until Mommy can tend to you.

You now drink milk 4x per day.  You take (2) 8oz. bottles during the week.  Mommy hasn't been able to get as much milk as you need so we've started to supplement formula just until the doctor ok's whole milk at your 1 year appointment.

You are back to taking fairly typical naps this month.  You take one nap in the morning, one in the afternoon, and sometimes a short cat nap on the drive home.

You now wear size 12 month clothes, size 4 diapers, and size 3 shoe.  Yes, we now factor in shoe size :)

I can't believe the new skills you've been practicing.  You cruise around furniture, walls, and even an occasional dog or two.  The biggest advance of the month, however, is that you can WALK!!!!  You took your first steps just last week and can now take up to seven steps at a time.  It's so exciting, we can't help but celebrate.  You get such a huge smile on your face and clap right along with us.

You've also learned how to sign milk.  A few weeks ago, at nap time, you climbed up my legs and started pumping your little hand.  Now we all know we can expect to see you "ask" for milk when it's time for a nap.  I also think you've been attempting to sign dog but instead of patting your thigh, you end up patting your belly.  Most of the time you accompany it with a "duh duh" sound.  Could dog possibly be your first real word?

You visited your very first pumpkin patch on Sunday when we visited Shaw's Farm.  Although it was extremely hot for October (85 degrees) you still had a great time.  You were even introduced to a few new animal friends.  The pumpkin you chose is so itty bitty and cute.  I'm so impressed with your paint job.

Daddy set up the drums in the living room and you absolutely LOVE spending time playing them with Daddy.  Almost every day you crawl up to the gate surrounding the drums and cry until we let you play for a bit.  I see another drummer in our future.

We look forward to this next month with you and can't believe we'll soon be celebrating your 1st birthday!!!

Mommy and Daddy love you, Ethan!

Ethan Walks!!!!

Ethan took 3 steps all by himself last night!!!!  We were all hanging out in Ethan's room just before bedtime.  He was practicing his skills by hanging on to the music table.  I decided to hold out my hands and cheer him on.  Ethan's little face went serious as he contemplated his next move.  Left foot in front of right, he walked into my arms using three little steps!  We were all so excited, clapping and cheering.  Even Ethan clapped for himself! 


*****I'll try to get video of it very soon and post it here.

Things I Don't Want to Forget

*  For the past two weeks, Ethan has consistently signed the word "milk."  When he's sleepy, he'll crawl up to your legs and squeeze his little fingers together as if he's saying "please give me milk and let me go for a nap."  If you simply say the word milk, he starts to sign it.

*  I also think Ethan is starting to sign "dog."  Twice tonight he started slapping his chest and saying "dah dah" after we said the word dog.

*  Ethan has stood for a few seconds all by himself and has even taken a single step forward.  After stepping he falls forward into your lap.  I think walking is the next step and it won't be too much longer.


*  E knows how to drive his push car.  He has even managed to turn the direction of the thing after knocking into a wall or two. 

I Don't Want to Forget

*Ethan is starting to imitate so many things we do.  During diaper changes or while sniffing his stinky feet, I'll often say "peeeeew" and wave my hand in front of my nose.  Ethan is now copying off me and doing the same thing. 

*  When playing peekabo, Ethan will cover one of his own eyes with the back of his hands and close the other.  I guess as long as he can't see you, you can't see him!

*  We're also working on blowing kisses.  When you make a loud "mmmmmmuah" sound, he covers his own mouth and then moves his hand away as if he's attempting to blow his own kisses.

*  Footed jammies are the cutest thing ever.  The temperature dropped a bit tonight making for a chilly evening.  I didn't want Ethan to get cold so out came the footed pajamas.  Reminds me of his itty bitty days not so long ago.

*  Ethan flinging his entire body backward while I tickle his belly.  This followed by the most beautiful little belly laugh a 10 month old can make.

*  On a non-Ethan related note, I don't want to forget the way copper colored leaves cover my windshield on a windy Autumn day in anticipation of a heavy downpour.

10 Months

What a big boy you are, Ethan!  You are 10 months old today!  And as a gift for being such a big boy, you got a cold and possibly an ear infection.  Yuck!  Poor kid, you were miserable today :(

You do not go to the doctor again until 1 year so we won't be able to update your stats until then.

Oh boy has this month been fun as far as sleep is concerned.  Of course, I say that in the absolute most sarcastic manner possible.  You used to be such a wonderful night time sleeper but something has changed this month.  You still sleep from 7:30 to 6:30 or so but the nights are no longer peaceful.  It all started just a few days before your 9 month birthday.  You started waking up at night, crying and needing to be fed.  On August 12th we saw you had cut 2 teeth!

Now that explained the nighttime fussiness.  Unfortunately, the middle of the night wake up calls have lasted through most of the month but you have no additional teeth to show for it.  In fact, you even woke up more than once per night on a few occasions.  My heart breaks every time I hear your little cry over the monitor.  I just want to fix whatever might be going wrong but I can't seem to find the right remedy  Here's to hoping this next month eases things up a bit.

You've had some HUGE exciting new foods this month.  You love eating waffles with fruit for breakfast and sometimes a piece of toast.  We gave you CHIPOTLE rice for the first time this month and you absolutely loved it!  The only thing that beat that out was the vanilla ice cream you tasted for the first time Labor Day weekend.  It's so exciting to see you experience all these new foods.

(I realized after taking these pictures that I had forgotten to lower the shoulder straps.  Don't worry, they've been lowered now!)

Naps have also become an issue this month.  When I'm home to nurse you to sleep, nap time tends to run smoothly.  We may only get a half hour nap out of you, but it is still a nap.  The issue is when a person other than Mommy tries to get you to nap.  You throw an absolute fit and cry endlessly for everyone else who attempts to get you to nap.  Miss Dawn has resorted to giving you a bottle in the crib and having you fall asleep while eating.  It's not ideal but until you get in a routine with her, it has to be done.  We've often has to drive you around for long periods of time just to have you get a decent nap in.  Oh how I miss your sleep.

You are still wearing mostly 6-9 month clothes but we're starting to break out some 9-12 month clothes.  You're still wearing size 4 diapers and throw a fit for diaper changes.

You are so incredibly fast while crawling now!  You love climbing on furniture and even stroll from one piece to the next.

Just a few days ago you managed to climb all the way up the stairs in our house.

We are so proud of you and love how excited you get when we cheer you on.

You are starting to point but most of the time your finger just ends up in your nose!  You also love mimicking our claps of excitement.

You attended your first Reds game but melted from the heat.  Other than that, we spent most of this past month relaxing and enjoying our time together before Mommy has to return to work.

Mommy and Daddy love you, Ethan!

Rump Shaker

Turn on the radio or a television show with music and you can always count on Ethan shaking his little rump.  The funniest part is when he crawls up to the television, places both hands on the stand, and shakes his little tush up and down like he's a little kangaroo.  If he happens to be in a high chair or car seat when one of his favorite songs comes on, better watch out for the finger point and hand clap!

It's that Time of Year...

I had my first caramel apple of the season yesterday.  While it had the slightest hint of dirt flavoring, nothing beats the gooey caramel dripping down a ripe granny smith apple.  Combine that with the 70 something degree weather, cooler breeze, and open windows and you've got the perfect recipe for fall.  Now all I have to do is break out the cinnamon and apple scented candles...Yum!

I Don't Want to Forget

That first cool morning that signals the near closing of summer and predicts the soon arrival of Autumn.  I stepped outside yesterday morning in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and felt a slight chill.  I was holding Ethan and even had the fleeting thought of "should I take the baby inside and at least put socks on him?"  Ahhh, my favorite season is just around the corner!

Ethan's First Reds Game

For Father's Day this year, we decided to take Ethan to his very first Reds game with Grandpa Craig.  After months of waiting, we finally made good on that gift today.  Chris, Ethan, and myself headed to Great American Ballpark to watch the Reds vs. Marlins.  Ethan was so excited to see the Reds win that he even tried on Chris' batting helmet ahead of time just to make sure it fit.

Today's terribly hot temperature of 93 degree made it completely unbearable for all of us to enjoy the game.

We sat in our sunny seats long enough to sing the National Anthem, watch the first pitch, and half of the first inning.

Poor little Ethan was dripping with sweat and getting crabby after only 30 minutes.

The rest of us appeared as if we had just come OUT of a swimming pool.  It was all so incredibly uncomfortable that we decided to head to a restaurant called the Machine Room inside Great American.  Ahhh, air conditioning never felt so good!

While Ethan guzzled back sippy cup after sippy cup of water, the Reds continued to fight the Marlins.  Apparently in the end the Reds ended up winning 2-1 and Ethan got a certificate commemorating his first Reds game.

9 Months!

Ethan, you're 9 months old today!  It's crazy how fast time is flying.  This month has been no exception.

You go to the doctor for your well visit on 8/20.  We'll update your stats at that point.

This month you have pushed your bedtime anywhere from 7:00-9:00.  Most of the time you manage to fall asleep around 7:30 but you've definitely pushed those limits.  You've shown us that sleep is not as much of a priority to you this month by waking up between 6:15-7:30.  Those early mornings sure can be difficult.  They have been especially difficult the past few mornings because you have been waking up in the middle of the night.  For the past two nights you've waken up around 3 am and absolutely refuse to go back to sleep for about two hours.  You are a complete wreck when you wake up and nothing mommy does makes you happy.  Last night I let you fall asleep on my chest and we slept on the recliner until morning.  I think you are so eager to practice your new skills that you don't want to waste time sleeping.  Or you wake up standing and don't know how to get back down.  Either way I'm hoping you learn to sleep through the night again very soon.

You are eating almost entirely finger foods at this point.  Any time I try to feed cereal, yogurt, or other pureed foods, you try to take the spoon out of my hands.  When you're successful, you tend to smear the food all over your face, tray, seat, and the floor.  Finger foods allow you to control the food and we get to eat at the same time!  We're expanding the list of foods to include some pretty different items like tofu, lentils, and cheese.  Just like the other foods, you seem to like them all.

You continue to go down fairly easily for naps but you have not been sleep as long as you did in the past.  The morning nap typically lasts about an hour and your afternoon nap is only 20-30 minutes.  I've relied on having you sleep in the car more often this month because you wake up a happier baby.

You are still wearing 6-9 month clothes but some of them are getting a little too short.  We'll be moving up to 12 month clothing very soon.  You are now wearing size 4 diapers.  You still hate having your diaper changed and outfits fastened so we are sticking with quick and easy clothing.

You have accomplished so many milestones this month that it is physically difficult to keep up with you.  You began the month by army crawling across the room.  Within a few short days you actually began crawling!!!

You are all over the house all the time.  You've also learned how to climb up on things, specifically furniture, dogs, and steps!

Maggie absolutely loves tagging along with you and playing but Molly does not appreciate being climbed on.  We're trying to teach you to play nice but it is a work in progress.  We've installed baby gates throughout the house and anchored furniture to the walls to protect you during your climbing practice.

Grandma Connie visited you this month and you had a great time.

We spent much of this month attempting to stay cool by visiting the pool and hanging out at indoor spots.  We visited the aquarium for the first time and checked out TONS of books at the library.

You also spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa Craig while Mommy and Daddy went out of town.  I'm going to miss finding new things to do with you each day when I go back to work.

Birth Stats

7 lbs 11 oz. (50th percentile)
21.5 inches long (95th percentile)

1 Month Stats
8 lbs 15 oz. (25th percentile)
22.5 inches long (80th percentile)

2 Month Stats
11 lbs 11 oz. (50th percentile)
24.5 inches (75th percentile)
Head Circumference........... 16 inches ( 50th percentile)

4 Month Stats
15 lbs 4 oz. (50th percentile)
26.25 inches (90th percentile)
Head Circumference.......17 inches (60th percentile)

6 Month Stats
17 lbs 7 oz. (45th percentile)
28 inches (87th percentile)

7 Months Stats
18 lbs. 7 oz. (44th percentile)

9 Month Stats

20 lbs 7 oz. (50th percentile)
30.5 inches (off the charts!)

Looking forward to many more exciting days Little Man.  We love you!

Just When I Thought I Knew What to Do

I learned tonight that I have no idea how to comfort my baby in the middle of the night.  Ethan's been sleeping through the night consistently for so long now that I haven't had to get him back to sleep.  Back when he was just a tiny little guy, I knew I just needed to nurse him and possibly do a diaper change and everything would be fine within a short period of time.

Not the case tonight when Ethan woke up screaming and crying at 2 am.  Although I knew he wasn't hungry, my instinct told me to attempt to nurse him back to sleep.  No such luck.  He would fall to sleep on my chest while rocking but wake immediately after placing him in the crib.  So, here I am at 3:08 am with a crying baby, standing in the crib just waiting for mama to come back and save him.

Family Followed by Not so Fun!

This weekend was one of those that I often long for when our monthly agenda gets jam packed.  Just the three of us spent the weekend hours being just that...a family.  We swam, toured unknown neighborhoods and dreamed about what could be, had professional photographs taken of Ethan, and ended it all with quiet story time and snuggling babies.

With such a quiet, calm weekend having just past, I almost hated to begin the day today with plans of preparing my classroom.  But, I went anyway while Grandma hung out with Ethan.  My room itself is almost complete and I'll soon be focusing my attention to actual lesson planning.

Unfortunately, that sweet cuddly baby from this weekend was nowhere to be seen when I returned home from school.  For the better part of four hours, little guy was completely inconsolable.  Perhaps he awoke too early this morning at 6:45,  the naps were too short, or he just plain missed his mommy.  Either way, the early 7:00 bedtime was definitely needed today.

Sure there's not 30 Hours in a Day?

Things have been so crazy hectic around here lately, I'll summarize what's been going on lately.  Last Saturday Ethan stayed with Grandma and Grandpa while Chris and I went to Louisville to watch the Jersey Boys play with his family.

Seeing a play was one of my 101 in 1001 items so I was very excited to be able to scratch that one off the list.  In addition, it really was a great production.  I was familiar with many of the Four Seasons/Frank Valli thanks to my parents ALWAYS having Oldies on in the car when we were younger!  We hung out at Fourth Street Live after the show and enjoyed some yummy adult beverages and entertaining restaurant personnel.

This past week Ethan has really mastered the art of crawling and pulling up on everything!!!

Since we really didn't baby proof the house entirely prior to this, we are definitely needing to do it now.  Ethan crawls around the entire downstairs level of our house and is attempting to climb the stairs.

He pulls up on coffee tables, couches, and even curio cabinets and DVD towers that weren't anchored to the wall just yet.  Needless to say, that's what we spent the better part of Saturday doing.

With the beginning of August comes the end of summer and the beginning of school.  Ethan and I went to my class on Wednesday to survey the damage of the recent transformation to an elementary school and, luckily, found my room to be moderately effected.  While attempting to replace fallen posters and empty new supply boxes, Ethan thought it would be fun to explore computer cords and mouth the disgustingly nasty desk and chair legs.  I accomplished nothing and decided to hold off until this upcoming week.

I'm attempting to savor these last few summer weeks hanging out with my little guy and just enjoying being a temporary stay at home momma.  I love being able to spend the days with Ethan and watch him change in such a short period of time.  I feel like this time with him has allowed me to truly get to know my baby in a way that wasn't possible before.  For that I am grateful.