Christmas

Christmas

Christmas was an adventure! To start the whole thing out, Ethan got sick with a double ear infection, a sore throat and a viral respiratory infection so he was up all night screaming Thursday and Friday nights. We had pictures scheduled for Satruday because we had the whole family in town because Aaron and I were sealed in the Mt. Timp. Temple (see later post once I get the pictures for details). Well needless to say, we cancelled and I spent the whole day at the Doctor with my baby, while Aaron cleaned the house and set things up for our dinner party that night after the Temple. Sunday we had the Atwood family caroling party, and then Monday (Christmas Eve) I spent the day at the hospital with Ethan. He had perked up after getting on antibiotics and seemed to be doing well on Sunday, but Monday he had a horrible cough and hadn't been eating. So the Doctor sent him in for tests and to check that he wasn't dehydrated. After chest x-rays and some very sad poking and prodding to my little guy he was mildly dehydrated and had bronchitis. The family was supposed to come spend the night at our house but with all the problems (not to mention Kyle and Nina's kids had woke up throwing up) we all just went up to my mom's house for dinner--for us, a very slow and snowy drive from Spanish Fork. The kids all had fun and were hyped up on sugar and the excitement of presents and Ethan started feeling better after his shots at the hospital. Christmas day we spent at Grandma & Grandpa Atwoods where we played games and ate...and ate. :-)

Now I'm sick...Ethan's a lot better (except for an incessant cough) and hopefully we'll still be able to get our pictures done & I'll be able to get my house cleaned!

In the end, I'm so thankful for family & friends and all they do for us, for their love and support and all the good times we have together!

Sleepy little bug

So I've discoved a new trick...anytime i'm in the kitchen or trying to get things done, I tilt the high-chair back give Ethan his teddy and a binki...and WHALA, he's asleep.

He often falls asleep in his bouncer as well...I guess he wears himself out with all that playing.

Basketball

We had a family outing to the basketball game the other day. BYU was playing at the Delta center...or um...the Energy Solutions Arena and Grandpa Mike had tickets. Coming from an "All Red" family, and marrying into an "all blue" family, I often feel conflicted at the games, never sure which team I should be cheering for. But, I always enjoy the time with family and I suppose I don't really care what team I'm cheering for. As for Ethan's first big game...He LOVED it, he looked around wide eyed the whole game just enjoying the crowd, noise and lights. Unlike his big brother who hates sports?? go figure. After the game was over, Micah asked when he was finally going to be able to play, because apparently making him sit through a basketball game is just plain torture :-). Aaron tries SO hard to sway him into the sports fanatic, I sometimes think that if we started telling him that it was just for grown-ups he may start begging us to let him join in.

Brothers

It's been so much fun to watch Micah with his little brother. He loves to play with Ethan and make him laugh. Ethan is very lucky to have such a fun big brother to teach him all kinds of cool stuff...like playing video game ;-)...which seems to be Micah's favorite pass time. I've decided that I'll have to really start putting some limits on the video games as Ethan gets older...and in the meantime teach Micah all the fun things there are to do outside :-)

Big Smiles

Nothing tugs at my heart more than the great big smiles that come from my little boy. He's always "gibbering" and "cooing" and he flashes me a great big smile everytime he see's me. It's too cute.

Grandpa Mike

The grandkids just love Grandpa Mike...and he loves his grandkids. Yeasterday after Thanksgiving dinner he was playing with Ethan and it made Makenna so jealous she had to get in on the fun.

Later Aunt Allison dressed Ehtan up as a Gumbie doll.

As for Thanksgiving, it was great as always. We spet it with Aaron's family and had good company and good food. Later we played games - and participated in the Atwoods favorite pass time...Singing. Okay, so just Andy and Becca sang (and danced) the rest of us watched (for the most part)while they made their way through Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Joseph. :-) Fortunately both Becca and Andy have beautiful singing voices. As for the games, it's always good "mean" fun, whenever you have a whole house full of serious competitors, any activity that promotes a competition is sure to be full of good old fashioned family arguments.

Poor Baby!

Aaron had a nasal overhaul two day's before Thanksgiving. His sinus's have been giving him a lot of trouble, that and breathing through a crooked nose. So he finally did something about it and had just about everying done to your nose/sinus' you possible could. He had some trouble just after the surgery b/c he had swallowed so much blood and couldn't keep anything down, including pain meds and fluids. So they had to keep him overnight at the hospital. But, after he came home he was a real trooper...he just looks like someone beat the crap out of him :-). Fortunately he had Ethan around to take care of his daddy ;-)

Playing House

We live in a very fun neighborhood...full of kids. When we first moved in, all the kids decided to investigate who their new friends would be. Well being just Aaron and I (large with child) and occasionally Micah, the kids decided not to let an age difference deter them and that Aaron and I must have to be their friends. So, at least once a day the door bell would ring and standing at the door would be several of the neighborhood kids asking if we could play. After a few days of duck-duck goose, and tag...they quickly decided that we were a lot of fun and decided to visit more frequently. Before too long I had to start telling them that I was busy and had to get some things done...to which they would reply, "can your dad play". "No, 'my dad' is at work". After a few months, their requests started to be "when can your baby play".

Well, after Ethan finally joined our family, all the neighborhood kids excitedly came to see our new addition. The girls in the neighborhood that were a little older continually ask when they can babysit. Now, normally I would welcome the enthuastic offers...however I think leaving your newborn in the hands of 8 year olds might be a little irresponsible...so I tell them they can come "help" me out any time. When they finally convinced their parents that I actually did tell them it was okay, and they come over, it turned out they are actually very helpful, and a lot of fun. Here is a picture of them "playing house" with my baby. My next door neighbor had a baby girl just a few weeks before I did, and her big sister likes to bring her over to "play" with Ethan "so she doesn't get lonley" so she tells me. I guess playing house with real babies beats playing house with dolls anyday.

Aaron and I still get regular requests to "play"...and Micah get's told every time he's here that he has the coolest parents ever. Perhaps we won't turn out to be so bad at this parenting thing afterall :-)

Mini Me's

These two little boy's are definitely their daddy's boy's. Owen was born about a month before Ethan.

Smile

Ethan is getting so big, and is becoming very playful. It is so fun to finally be able to see when he is happy...or sad for that matter. My heart melts everytime he see's me and gives me his huge toothless grin and kicks his legs with excitement.

Cafe Rio

Cafe Rio is a Utah favorite...and a favorite of Aaron's family. And whenever Miranda is in town from Omaha...we are sure to gorge ourselves on "Utah Mexican" at least once.

Halloween

'Lil Pun'kin

Ethan got a very warm and fluffy pumpkin costume for halloween. Being so warm and comfortable, every time we put him in it, he would fall asleep within minutes. We decided perhaps we should start putting him to sleep in the pumpkin costume regularly :-)

Aaron was a vampire with his "real" fangs. He had his brother put them on with composite, which meant he had to eat with them for 2 days before they could be drilled off. Every time a kid would come to the door he would try to scare them...and then try to convince them that as he was a real vampire, he had really grown the fangs. He had a few convinced. I was a biker chic...with my hot leather pants, spikes and sweet tats (that said "Edward" lol).

We handed out tooth brushes to which we got mixed reactions...of course all the parents loved it.

Halloween

We had a "murder mystery party" at our house for Halloween. 46 neighbors came...all dressed up and ready to party :-). 'Twas a lot of fun. I played the role of Jaqulin Hyde, a psychic investigator and Aaron was my "hippie" partner. I don't know if you can see his teeth in the picture...but they made the costume :0

One Month Old

By one month Ethan learned to roll over...quite an accomplishment I'm told, however he only rolls over when he's on his stomach, and he's mad. He also make a really cute face by pursing his lips into an O.


At 3 weeks old Ethan also took his first trip to Lake Powell, he loved to be outside and was a very good little baby. We didn't leave the house boat much, but his cousin Makenna sure liked "playing" with him :-)

Daddy's boy

Or maybe it's the other way around. This little boy has his daddy wrapped around his little finger.

The Sling

This little invention was a gift from my Aunt Luwaine and cousin Selina...it was VERY useful in his first few weeks of life. This picture is when he was about 4 days old :-)

Micah meet's his new brother.

Micah was very excited to meet his new baby brother. He got a new baby sister 3 weeks before, and has another little sister that is 2...So another boy was much welcomed surprise.

Ethan Aaron Atwood

On August 26th 2007 at 7:04pm, Ethan Atwood (later to be given the middle name Aaron, because of his mini-me resemblance of his daddy) joined our family. He was 7lbs 3oz and 19.5 inches long. For the first 2 weeks of his life he barely made a peep...so at three weeks when he finally decided to cry, we just smiled and thought it was cute. It helped that his little squeal sounded more like a little dinosaur or a parakeet. These day's he's not "as perfect" but he's still a really good baby, and SO much fun.

Lake Powell

3 weeks before Ethan was born

jamaica cruise

Snowboarding Micah

5 yrs old