surprise!

So Ethan's been kinda weird with eating this week, doing lots of fussing and whining when I'm trying to feed him. Otherwise he's been fine. And he's been waking up more often at night (3 or 4 times instead of 1), mostly just to cry. Last night he was chewing on my finger and I thought I maybe felt a tooth, but I couldn't get in there to look. This afternoon the ridge felt a little bigger and when I finally got his tongue aside I discovered not one, but TWO teeth! I'm sad that his super cute gummy grin will be gone, but I suppose a toothy grin will be cute too :)

sleeping

We heard Ethan goofing around in his crib at nap-time but thought little of it. Then Jon beckoned me to see something funny. When they say "sleeping like a baby", this must be what they meant:

I have to say, it looks wildly uncomfortable, but apparently it doesn't matter!

dum da dum dum

We think we've found a house! It's about a 3-minute walk from Jon's workplace so we'll be able to simplify a bit and sell our second car. It's a super cute little 2-story that's across the fence from Sobeys, so we'll never have to worry about running out of milk! There's also a Tim Hortons just across the fence, so I sense an addiction to Iced Coffees coming on...

We can't make an official offer until Jon starts work, because he's not at full time yet. But according to the chat we had with the owners yesterday, we'll probably be moving mid-October. Our first house that's OURS. (well, the bank's actually, but who's going to quibble? :)

My big road trip

I took my very first long roadtrip this weekend. Well, I've been to Grandma and Grandpa's place a couple times, but that drive is just the length of a long nap. This one was serious business. I even tried sitting in the driver's seat, but I can't see over the dashboard yet. Maybe next time. Then I'm really gonna zoom down the road.

We made a little pit stop at a teeny weeny town, where I got to inspect a tree real close up. Someday I'm gonna be a scientist. A scientist Nascar driver.

Maybe I will also be a food taster. I'm practicing lots on daddy's thumb. I think it's my favorite snack flavor so far.

Mommy thinks I'm going to be a sweet boy, but I'll show her! Look at me tear apart this napkin!

But maybe for now I'll just concentrate on learning how to do things like sitting. I guess every great man has to start the same way, whether he's a Nascar driver, a scientist, or a ragamuffin.

Mike

Mike used to live in our basement. Mike was a plumber. Mike was 27...I think. Mike was a youth leader. Mike was planning to go to Bible college in the fall, maybe to eventually become a youth pastor. Mike jumped off a cliff into a lake on Monday, just for fun. Mike didn't come up. Mike hasn't been seen since.

He was a friend, a co-youth leader, a housemate. And now he's gone.

I think Ethan has started to catch on that when we put him in the crib, we leave. Now, if he's not ready to go to sleep, he lets us know loud and clear that he wants to keep playing! It's been going on for a few days now and I'm going crazy! A couple months ago we started working on getting him to fall asleep on his own, which he was doing really well for about a month. We would put him to bed after he started yawning and rubbing his eyes and usually he'd just talk to himself for a couple minutes and fall asleep.

And now...sigh.

At least he DID fall asleep tonight, albeit after several minutes of yelling. The other night, after he cried on and off (the off-times were when we were holding him) for an hour, we actually had to take him for a drive...first time ever. We put him in the car seat and he was happy as can be, which is why I think his screaming is crib-related. He played with the toys that hang off the seat for a few minutes then closed his peepers and fell fast asleep. Today I tried to put him down after being awake for 2 hours as per usual, but no can do. He yelled at me all through my shower! So I caved and let him come play for a bit and he was fine for another hour and a half. Apparently he doesn't need to sleep as often anymore. I guess we need to get with the program. :)

On a side note, we're hoping to buy a house in the next few months. We've only been looking on MLS and com-free so far but it seems promising. We just need to start looking at places now. We found this place on ComFree that was too good to be true...unfortunately it wasn't, but someone else snapped it up already. Sigh. We're really looking for a place within walking distance of Jon's work so we can sell the Echo, but that area is pretty expensive.

biiiig boy

So my kiddo weighs 17 lbs, 12 oz...already! Good thing we got the infant seat that works up to 30 lbs! Oh, and he's 26 inches. Over 90th percentile for both weight and height. I forget how big his head is, but it's only 75th percentile. Good thing small head doesn't equal small brain, or we might trade him in. Kidding!

So Ethan had a fun weekend at Grandpa and Grandma's - being doted on by no less than 5 adults may give him a bit of a complex though. I think he had about 100 photos taken this weekend alone. When/if he gets a sibling, he's going to have a pretty massive shock!! Developmentally, he finally started playing with the toys that hang into his car seat - he's been grabbing them and pulling on them. Strange how such a small thing can be so important :) Next, we're gunning for a rollover!

Bugger

I hate shots. Ethan has his second set in 50 minutes. I feel like such a cruel mom when he starts screaming. I know it's good for him but last time when he started wailing I almost started too! With all our technology, couldn't they have figured out a painless way to get immunized? They have an oral rotovirus vaccine for babies, why not others? Oh well, off to pain-land.

On the bright side, we'll get to find out his weight and height today, to see how much he's grown in the past 2 months. Anyone want to take a guess? He was born at 8lbs 3oz and at 2 months he was 14 lbs 11 oz. He's now 4 months...free Ethan smiles to the best guess!

Sleep power!

For the first time EVER, Ethan only woke up for 1 feeding last night. That means he went to bed at 6:45 pm, woke up about 3:15 am, and woke up for good at 8 am. I'm thinking over 13 hours with only one feeding is pretty good - I'm not even sure *I* can go that long without food :)

Maybe this is why he slept so well:

I'm baaaaack...

...and all about Ethan! Welcome to Ethan-land. The place to find out about the man of the hour...ETHAN! I'll try to remember to keep this updated with all the Ethan-y goodness. And perhaps along the way you'll hear a bit about Jon and I. Perhaps.

So we've discovered that we have a thumb-sucker. It's super cute but I'm somewhat conflicted because I know it can cause dental issues. But I console myself with three facts:

1) Babies have been sucking their thumbs for millennia, and we're still around as a species. So obviously it isn't a contributing factor in survival of the fittest.

2) He probably won't be sucking his thumb on his first date. Probably.

3) We have some dental coverage.

So oh well, keep up with the thumb-sucking cuteness!

Does this count as a post?

I haven't posted in so long, I forgot what my blog address was. Is that a good sign, or a bad sign?

The Experiment(s).

So this summer I tried two (2) experiments. Hypotheses were as follows:

1. I can make pickles. A lot of pickles.

2. I can grow potatoes in a pot.

Both hypotheses were verified, as shown in the following pictures:

tremors

So tonight I found myself on the other side of the interview table, for the first time in my life. I must be moving "up" in the world. It feels weird to be old.

pulverization

I had forgotten that going swimming with junior high kids is a full-contact sport. I think I have cuts and bruises on every limb. My right leg is suffering the most, with at least 8 new bruises and a sporty new cut on the knee. As if they weren't scarred enough from the myriad times I have tripped over my toes, rollerbladed into rock piles, or flipped my bike. I'm mildly surprised to actually have all my limbs and my brain in working order after the many accidents I've had. I was recently teaching a piano student and I moved my chair backwards for some un-remembered reason...unfortunately the reason was so un-remembered that the moment after I moved the chair, I went to sit back down and was surprised to find myself sitting on the floor, in front of my chair. Or how about the time I hit a rock the size of my fist while on my bike and went head-over-heels...causing my bike wheel to look like a potato chip and leaving my knobby portions looking like freshly pulverized meat. Or the time I wasn't paying attention on rollerblades and painfully discovered that a section of the sidewalk was out and had been replaced with rocks. Or the time I looked up from rollerblading and ran into a biker going the other way, causing permanent hip disfunction. Or the time I apparently got in the way on the sledding hill and ended up taking a most interesting trip to the hospital in the ambulance.

I'm somewhat ashamed that my accidents never happen because I'm doing a sweet wheelie or a triple-axle on my blades. Nope, no glory for me. Just guts.

spring snow - midnight

It snowed on Tuesday night, and it was wet so it stuck heavily to every tree. Walking around at midnight was eerie - ghostly trees and muffled sounds...all that could be heard was the sound of snow drops falling off trees, and the occassional howl of a coyote. I sat outside the cabin and let my imagination roam...

~~~~
The night traveler meets a path through the woods, unrecognizable to him. Boughs lean downward, bearing the weight upon them as an aged king bears his worries. The traveler bends his head in deference to their regal bearing. He lifts his head to see bare branches, laden not with spring buds, but with a heavy snow. The lady of the willow stretches out her fair arms above him as a canopy. The proud birch lends her string of pearls, slender as iridescent webs arching over his weary head. Giant poplars tower over, silent specters in the moonless night. And in silence, there is sorrow as the queen loses her celestial headpiece; each jewel turning to liquid and falling to the floor of the earth. Her subjects mourn for her loss as her luminous tiara melts into the shadows. He smells only their tears, as a world pregnant with expectation of the otherworldly. Brooding, waiting for the veil to life. Beauty, swiftly attained and slowly bidding farewell. There is no time, only silence. His eyes close, every limb holding pose, as if to move would cause the shattering of the world. More is here than snow and trees and dripping water. The Other is here, watching over the scene even as the specters watch from on high.

He sees, in the distance, a small band of light gleaming in the dark. He hastens on, breaking the silent enchantment. But more is here.

~~~~
After that, I heard a whole pack of coyotes so I dashed inside, visions of otherwordly beasts nearly visible in my mind.