easter cookies

since i never got around to decorating cookies (or the gingerbread house we bought) with ethan at christmas, i decided to do some easter cookies. i made these amazing sugar cookies on sunday and ethan and i did some decorating this morning. he really enjoyed it and actually did more decorating that i thought he would. of course, his idea of decorating and mine are a bit different, but we had a great time and i think they turned out cute for our first attempt! i think i'll make another batch closer to easter since they were so good. oh and you can tell from all these pictures that, like any good chef, ethan did his fair share of taste testing.

for aunt laura and uncle jeff

thanks for the great shirts - they have always been a favorite around here! i have to dig out the 6-12 month one we have so miles can wear his too! and you can't see it very well in these pictures, but how cute is it that ethan's says "number two?!"

too cool for pictures, mom.

he did NOT want to leave the park!!

snow in (almost) april!

okay, so it wasn't a ton of snow like others are used to, but there were visible flakes coming down for a couple of hours and that was enough to get ethan excited! lance told him it was snowing out and he ran around the house in circles just laughing and yelling out "snowing! snowing!" it is crazy because he barely sees snow - the trip to colorado we take in the winter is about the only time he ever sees any large amount of snow. i guess he relates it to the thomas books and dvds where the trains are always dealing with snow. anyway after he stopped running around we pushed his chair up to the door so he could watch the flakes come down and he loved it!

getting ready for the game!

GO SOONERS!

and for good measure, the boys together tonight - ethan was being sweet and sharing his book with miles.

wordless wednesday: me and my shadow

dinner is much more fun with a friend!

ethan and cousin carrie ann enjoying their version of a BBQ dinner. he loved sitting at a little table that was just his size!

TOES!

i don't know why, but i love pictures of toes. it is like you can almost see their personalities in them. i took these pictures yesteday afternoon as we were enjoying some beautiful spring weather in our yard.

miles was in the walker and he was just so excited to be able to finally use his feet to do something other than chew on. he just kept standing up and moving himself to see where he could go. i love the fact that he has absolutely no ankles, the chub just goes straight down to his toes. i know that will change when he gets more mobile and runs off all that sweet babyness. and i know i will miss it!

ethan loves to be barefoot if possible. now that it is getting warmer out, i let him run around in our driveway and back yard with no shoes on. he used to hate the feel of the grass on his feet and now he loves it! his little toes, dirty from all the running, peek out from his too long jeans (even though they've been rolled up to keep from falling off of him) and they almost curl up when he touches the grass. i love that something so little like that can make him so happy.

treat night!

ethan found $10 at the library this morning so i told him we would go get a treat with his find. we went to braum's for some yummy ice cream after i picked them up from the sitters. ethan (with my help, of course!) picked chocolate ice cream. i think lance and i ate more of his ice cream than he did though...but i think he just loved the idea of it. more braum's trips are definitely in store for the future!

morning at the library

ethan loves playing with the "puters" (computers) and blocks at the library. his babysitter also takes him there so he gets lots of time there. as soon as we pull into the parking lot he starts to say "play with blocks!" and gets so excited. the library actually has a really good set-up for kids with blocks, crayons, puzzles and toddler computers and we have been having a great time going there lately. today we even found a letter train game on the computer that he really enjoyed!

ethan always has to have the ear muffs on even though they are huge on him. they are a must since all the big kids wear them. he usually tries to put them on first himself and when that doesn't work out too well, he calls for help.

wordless wednesday: happy spring!

going back a bit...

i was just going through my pictures and found this great one that my dad took when miles was 3 days old. poor lance looks like he is more tired than miles is! but it is such a sweet picture of the two of them snuggling and i absolutely love how tiny miles is!!

ethan's new toy!

thanks for sharing aunt dawn and cousin zach! ethan has been thoroughly enjoying his thomas play tent. it is currently set up in the front entry because the thing is huge and we didn't really have a good space for it...we definitely didn't want it taking up half the living room! if you didn't know already, ethan's is a HUGE thomas fan...i mean HUGE! so this is such a fun toy for him. he already brought in some of his trains this morning and i can only imagine that more will be going in later on this afternoon.

and a little video of him playing in it. he seemed to really enjoy twirling for some reason.

the undeniable chunkiness

how can you not love these legs???

and a few more pictures from after his nap

so, i fell for the hype...

but it is worth it!! thanks to a good collection of williams-sonoma gift certificates, i was able to purchase this amazing little appliance. i have always been a sucker for kitchen gadgets! yes, i know i have all the necessary appliances to make homemade baby food already (steaming pot, blender and/or food processor) but this is just so much more convenient. everything in one little, stylish machine! it also just makes small batches so i can easily pop something in while i am fixing breakfast in the mornings. lance likes that it doesn't make enough to freeze. he hated having millions of little colored ice cubes of food in the freezer when ethan was younger...not sure why, but it drove him crazy! he was not excited when i said i was planning to make baby food again for miles. i will admit he did roll his eyes when he saw this thing, but as soon as i said it made small batches that i wouldn't need to freeze he was all over it.

so far, my food reviewer loves the two things i've tried: applesauce and yellow squash. tonight i steamed some of the leftover green beans we had for dinner and hopefully he'll be a fan of those too! i know, it isn't for everyone...some love to have their freezer filled with food, but i am glad i found it this time around. i feel like it has already been really helpful and am looking forward to making more food with it.

miles' 6 month stats

okay, so these are really 7 month stats because he didn't get his well baby visit until today due in part because he was sick the first time we had it scheduled and in part to a forgetful mama. but we got it done and he is right on track and continuing to stay in the same percentiles as he was at his 4 month visit.

weight: 17 pounds, 1 ounce (around 50th percentile)

height: 25 1/2 inches - though he did not want to stretch out, so he may be a bit taller (25th percentile)

we discussed the fact that he HATES to be on his stomach and the doctor said that maybe he won't be a crawler and will go straight to walking. otherwise, he is looking good with his sitting up unsupported and his rolling over - though again, he hates to be on his stomach for any length of time. we also talked about his eating and he is doing good with a variety of different fruits and veggies, so no concerns there. a good visit other than getting two shots :( our next well baby visit will be at 9 months.

oh and to compare, ethan was 15 pounds, 11 ounces at 6 months...but i have down that he was 17 pounds at 7 months, 3 weeks...so he had a growth spurt in there and miles doesn't really have that much on him.

another day at the park

loving this wonderful spring weather! and i really appreciated it on a weekend when lance was at drill. it was so nice to be able to get out of the house. today was PERFECT!! we went a little early - around 10:30 - so a lot of people must have been in church. whatever the reason, we had the entire playground to ourselves! i loved it! i didn't have to hover over miles as much and i felt more comfortable letting ethan roam a bit. normally i stick pretty close to him because he tends to try out things that he isn't quite ready for if he sees some of the bigger kids do it. i did feel a bit old though after doing some time on the slides and climbing through tunnels...i do not think i am up to that! today was also the first day ethan went on the big kid swings! he has been dying to try them out but in the past he didn't hold on well enough and would just slump down, today he sat on there perfectly and even let me push him a bit.

happy 26 months, ethan & happy 7 months, miles!

i am getting lazy and decided to combine their monthly "birthdays" into one post this month. i know at some point i have to give ethan's up, but i just can't yet. i finally got a useable picture of the two of them together this morning...i wish there wasn't a fish stick in view - but i'll take it! at least you can see both of their faces!

some of ethan's favorite things right now:
1. his new big boy bed! he has done great with his transition and wants to climb up there himself after we read him his bedtime story before naps and at night. it makes me happy that he loves it so much, but kind of sad because he is growing up.
2. the alphabet! thanks to chicka, chicka, boom, boom ethan knows all of the letters in the alphabet and can point them out when asked. he also loves to pick them out on different signs and other places and tell us what letters he sees. lance thinks he sounds country, because he says "letter r, right there" with maybe the littlest bit of an accent. too cute!
3. fish sticks. he calls them chicken for some reason. i love that he loves them because it is a welcome change from cheese and yogurt all the time. finally a new source of protein - yay!
4. his frog potty and thomas undies. we are in the midst of potty training and these two things (along with some m&m's!) are really helping the process. he gets so excited to use "frog potty" and get an "em" (m&m)
5. being silly and making us laugh. he has figured out when he does something that makes us laugh to just keep on doing it. he makes the funniest face when he eats something that doesn't taste how he expects. i cracked up the other night when he did that and now he makes that face just to see if i'll laugh again...i always do, you can't help it!

my favorite things he is doing right now:
1. being a little helper. he loves to help me out in the kitchen, especially with the dishwasher. and he also loves to help out with miles - changing diapers, giving him bottles and bringing him toys. he has also just recently started going through the house with wipes and cleaning things...i am not sure where he got that from but it wasn't lance or i! :)
2. being independent. even though it can drive me crazy some mornings when we are running late and he insists on going through all his pants to find the perfect pair, i love that he is so excited to do things on his own. i have noticed that he is starting to play by himself more as well - this is especially helpful when i am trying to put miles down.
3. his curiousity. i do get tired of answering the often asked question, "mama, what's iss?," (what's this?) especially since half the time i am driving and i have no idea what he is talking about. but i love that he is so curious about everything around him.
4. his kisses! he used to just lean his cheek in when you asked for a kiss, as if, you are so lucky that you get to kiss me. now he goes right for you mouth with a kiss. sometimes it is messy, but that's okay, i still love it!
5. the fact that he is starting to recognize others feelings. he knows when miles cries, that he is sad and he will go over to him to pat him or give him a pacifier to try to make him feel better. he also genuinely looks upsets when he realizes that something he has done has caused someone to get hurt or upset.

some of miles' favorite things right now:
1. sitting up! he is really good at it now and can sit without any support for long periods of time. he'll still play laying down on his playmat or in our bed in the mornings, but he definitely prefers the view from sitting up.
2. being a part of everything! he hates to be left out of things. he needs to be sitting at the table if people are eating and of course wants to grab at everything if you have him in your lap. also when we are playing on the floor, he needs to be able to see what ethan is doing to make sure he isn't missing out.
3. basketball. we just found out he loves playing with ethan's little basketball. he thinks it is hilarious if you roll it to him...he almost catches it and then "throws" it back.
4. bathtime. we just started bathing him and miles together and miles LOVES it! he gets so excited about being in the water. he is definitely going to be our swimmer!
5. applesauce. it is the first food he actually has really enjoyed. it seems like the others that we have tried so far (pears, bananas, rice cereal and oatmeal) have been tolerated, but not really loved. i am excited because the applesauce is also the first food i've made for him...i guess he likes his mom's cooking.

some of my favorite things right now:
1. how excited he gets when i come into the room to get him in the morning of after naps. he just gets this huge grin and recently has started laughing when you come in. makes up for being so tired in the mornings!
2. how much he loves ethan! he gets so excited when he sees him. the other night ethan was kissing on his belly and miles was just cracking up. it is so wonderful to see them interact together.
3. how excited he gets when you hold him in a standing position. he has loved to stand up from when he was very young and now he is getting really good at it and loves if you hold him up against a table or something he can play with and feel like he is standing on his own. he does not appreciate when you get too tired and have to put him down though!
4. his insanely chunky thighs! and really the all-around chubbiness. his legs are so huge it is hilarious. i love it! he is already wearing some of the clothes that ethan wore when he was closer to a year!
5. how much he laughs. you can get belly laughs out of him by doing just about anything. talking to him, tickling his belly or legs, playing peek-a-boo...he is really a happy little guy, that is as long as he isn't in need of a nap or food!

picture frame craft

i attemp crafts here and there with ethan, but most of them don't turn out exactly how i'd like, but this one was lots of fun and turned out so cute! i found the idea for it on babycenter and picked up some stickers yesterday. i used extra card stock and cardboard from some cereal boxes for the frames. ethan is really into the alphabet right now so i thought it would be fun for him to do letter stickers. he loved seeing all the letters and picking out some of his favorites to put on the frame. of course, he tired of putting stickers on the frame and thought it would be more fun to decorate his little brother!

i worked along with him and made a cute little frame for miles. we picked out pictures together (he loved the one of him and his dad on the tractor!) and i finished off the frames and put two magnets on the back of each while the boys were down for naps. easy and not very expensive...i think they'd make cute little holiday photo cards too!



*excuse the thomas undies, we are in the midst of potty training and being without clothes is the easiest thing right now :)

a day at the park

the weather was warm and absolutely beautiful today so i took the boys to the park. it had been a while since i attempted a solo park trip with the two since it is a bit tough to keep an eye on ethan while keeping miles happy...but today was perfect! there were several other kids, but all 2-3 year olds, so it was the perfect mix. ethan had a blast and miles enjoyed relaxing in the fresh air. it was his first time in the maclaren and i had forgotten how much i love that thing! so much better than lugging a big stroller around and it turns on a dime one handed, which really comes in handy when lugging around a toddler who for some reason as soon as you leave the slides forgets that he can actually walk on his own. it is supposed to be warm this weekend and i am looking forward to at least another park trip or two.

laughing miles!

i have been trying to catch miles on video when he laughs for such a long time, but as soon as he would see the camera the laughing would stop. last night lance was playing some "basketball" with him and he LOVED it! sorry that the video quality isn't the best, it is really dark in our living room. but how cute does he sound?!?

wordless wednesday: yawn!

full circle

ethan's crib has made it full circle. i remember putting it together for him and setting it up in the months before he was born. i loved setting it up with his adorable star bedding and mobiles and fuzzy sheets. who knew he would love his crib so much! he has always slept so well in it, but we knew one day he would have to move to a bed...though i personally would have kept him in his crib til he was in school if he slept! we bought a bed for him a while back when he had his first climbing episode and after first one was broken, we finally received a new one and got it set up. i think lance and ethan were completely ready for this transition. i, on the other hand, was not at all! he is currently down for his nap - after about 2 hours of playing in his room doing god knows what - we didn't open the door for fear that he would think naptime was up. i am very tempted to look in, but don't want to test fate. all is quiet in the house and that is a good thing when it is naptime. i am not sure how he will do at night time and i am sure over the course of the next several months (years - maybe!) we'll have our issues with the bed, but at least he took to it today without much fanfair. lance read him chicka, chicka, boom, boom, his current FAVORITE book and had him turn on his machines (noise maker and humidifier) and he hopped into bed himself. we decided lance will put him down for the next few nights, though i'll have to handle naps, in hopes that it will keep the transition smooth. uggh, it is hard to believe my little guy is big enough for a bed now!

anyway, his crib has now been full circle and lance and i brought it back down to miles room where it first started out over 2 years ago. we raised it up, put back that adorable rainforest mobile and miles took his first nap in it this weekend. he has also adjusted well to a bigger crib and hopefully it will make for more sleeping in the future! if only his older brother could teach him a few things about sleeping!

here are a few pictures of ethan and his new big boy bed! the first one is how we found him after his first nap in it - he was actually sleeping while standing up...on his tiptoes! the other two are how i found him monday morning when i went to wake him up at 8:45am. yes, he is definitely doing well in the bed and though i am not going to admit lance was right about transitioning him, i will say it has gone a million times better than i would have ever thought!