Sledding video

MORE SNOW FUN

This morning we went out as a family of 3 for nearly 2 hours! Ethan LOVES sledding. He got a little more brave today and went sledding super-man style. We all didn't want to come inside but knew we should have a hot cocoa and potty break! Don't worry, i'm not doing any sledding... just taking pictures and watching my boys romp around!

Snow

So we finally got some snow! My parents came over this morning and I cooked us a big breakfast. Mom & I then cleaned out Ethan's closet which you couldn't even walk in. Then of course we headed outside to play. I think the totals around here ended up being around 5 inches. I was happy because Ethan was anxious to get out and play in it AND I had bought a new ski bib & jacket set at my beloved consignment sale for $20 and I wanted to get at least one use out of them. It was definitely worth it because he LOVED being out in the snow and did not want to come in. He was nice, warm, and dry other than some really pink cheeks. Now me on the other hand was out in sweat pants and a jacket that I couldn't even zip because of my belly! I was so careful because I did not want to fall out there and end up putting myself into labor! Anyhow, here are some pictures I snapped today.

Ethan throwing a snow ball.

Making a snow angel.

Having a blast sledding!

Genius, I tell ya

Ethan loves to type on our computer. We will open a blank word document, make the font really big and orange (of course) and let him sit with us and type. He started out just typing the number 8 (his favorite) and various letters. Recently he has asked us to type people's names. He can "read" (when I say read, I know it is word recognition) various names.
Well tonight he impressed me. We sat down together and he said, "I want to type Ethan". I was getting ready to spell it out for him letter by letter when he looked down and said, "E".... "T"...."H"....."A".... "ETHAN"! Granted he missed the "N" on the end, but we had NO IDEA he knew how to spell his own name by himself let alone type it on the computer! That was definitely a proud mama moment for me. With so many things he has shocked us with his abilities. It's like he keeps something he can do a secret and then one day just wows us because we had NO clue he knew how to do it. I just can't believe my baby will be 3 years old in just a few weeks! He is growing up too fast. (sniff, sniff)

Monster Jam 2010

My parents took Ethan to the Monster Jam show yesterday. They went early because they had gotten pit passes. This allowed them to walk down in the dirt and see the monster trucks up close and personal. Ethan's favorite is Grave Digger. Ethan did really well and absolutely loved every minute of it. Not only were the monster trucks there doing jumps and going over cars, but they had four wheelers and motorcycles out doing jumps at some point too. Mom said that Ethan sat mesmerized the whole time and just took it all in- between the big building, all the people, the lights, the cheering, and the incredibly loud engines it was a lot for a little guy to enjoy! Ethan had to wear my dad's shooting range ear muffs to block out the loud engine volume. I know he was in little boy heaven yesterday! We are thankful that my parents bought him tickets and he could go. He has been counting down for this since before Christmas! Here are just a few pictures from their day.

Ethan & Grammy checking out "Prowler".

Papa & Ethan in front of "Digger", Digger's driver is there to the right of Ethan.

My cutie taking it all in. Of course Papa & Grammy bought him a cool Digger hat to wear. He has wanted to wear it to bed and has worn it every minute he has been awake!

Grave Digger doing a big jump.

Morning breath

This morning Ethan slept in a little and when he woke up I took him potty and then we climbed into bed with daddy to snuggle. I snuggled in next to Ethan and he said, "mommy, that smells like freckles!" I asked him if he was referring to my breath and he said yes! Yikes. I guess there is nothing worse than freckle breath! Off to brush my teeth...

Fire Station- part 2

So Matt told me a funny story from when we went to the fire station. (See previous post) Matt was the one who took Ethan into the "smoke house" at the fire station where they teach fire safety. It is like a trailer that the interior looks like a house and they talk about fire alarms and smoke, etc. There was a young fireman volunteer who was facilitating the demonstration with a group of about 10 kids.

Firegirl: "So what do you all want to be when you grow up?"

Kid 1: "A teacher."

Kid 2: "A fireman."

Kid 3: "A policeman."

Kid 4: "A doctor."

Ethan: "An orange octopus."

HA HA HA! That made me laugh so hard. Ethan is constantly talking about being a policeman, fireman, or doctor because he wants to "help people". So I think it is hilarious that when you think he is going to answer a certain way, he pulls out something like that. Well it got a good laugh, so that's all that matters!

Fire Station

This afternoon we stopped by our local town fire station for a fund raiser they were having. We bought some hamburgers & hot dogs and ate lunch. Ethan got to climb up in the fire trucks, tour the "smoke house" where they teach you fire safety and he got to spray the fire hose at a little house. It was a lot of fun and a great way to support our community! Ethan has been saying that he wants to be a fireman, policeman, or doctor when he grows up because he wants to help people. What a sweetie. While we were there they were also checking car seat installations. So we brought the infant carrier seat and had them install it for us! It was exciting to see the car seat already installed for Caleb's arrival! Thankfully it looks like I will be able to fit in the middle seat between the kiddos if needed whenever we travel. This new car is definitely a blessing in so many ways, but especially because the backseat is bigger...oh and the trunk! Awesome. Check out a few pictures from today.

My little man "driving" the fire truck.

He thinks he is hot stuff!

Spraying the fire hose!

5 weeks to go.... or sooner!

I always throw in "or sooner" when people ask how much longer I have until our second baby boys arrives. Because Ethan came before his scheduled c-section and i've felt all along I wasn't going to make it long with this baby, I just have to throw it in! At least I know it won't be later than February 19th! We have an ultrasound next Wednesday to see how large this baby is measuring. Originally they told me he was going to be another 9 or 10 pounder. My diabetes hasn't been that bad this time, so he could be smaller... but I doubt it!
I haven't blogged much recently for a few reasons. One is I haven't had much to say. I've been so busy counting down the days and weeks, that this last trimester is really flying by. Sometimes I want to blog, but I don't have much to say these days. Other than "I'm tired!"! This pregnancy has been VERY different than with Ethan's. I am exhausted and have experienced very different pain and stretching in my stomach. I don't sleep well at night and chasing around an almost 3 year old doesn't help!
Speaking of my first born. He is awesome. He has grown physically and cognitively a lot these past few weeks. He is officially done potty training, although he's really been potty trained for about 3 months now. We finally stopped using diapers at night. He had been waking up dry for a LOOOOONG time, but i've been holding onto them for security. He now knows how to drink from a big cup. That has been one thing that he has taken a while to learn. So many people think he is older than what he is, but it's still hard to believe that he will be 3 in a month!!!
Anyhow, one last thing I want to leave you with is to say that I am blessed. I am truly thankful and overwhelmed by some things that are going on in my life that God has chosen to bless me with. To make a long story short, some wonderful women from my church are throwing me a shower for this baby. I wasn't sure if I would "get" a shower because it being my second baby and being the same gender. I had some needs and concerns and was trusting and wondering how God was going to provide. As soon as one of my dear friends told me their plans for a shower, I just started crying! I said even if no one comes I feel loved and blessed knowing that they were doing this for me! God knows and cares about the small things and I never need to question His provision.

33 weeks

I hope Ethan loves his little brother as much outside of the womb as he does inside! I just can't wait to meet my second precious baby boy!

Happy New Year

Today as I started my first blog post of the new year, I realized it is my 600th post! I cannot believe I started blogging four years ago and have kept it up! 2009 has been a great year. The beginning of the year my baby turned 2! I got my tonsils taken out in April which has proved to be a bigger experience than it should have been. Between losing 13 pounds in a week and it being by far the worse pain i've ever experienced to it taking a HUGE chunk of change to pay for it (and we still are) I am thankful that they are out and I won't have to deal with problems again. In June we found out we were pregnant again! And now we are just a few weeks away from meeting our second baby boy! I can't believe Ethan will be 3 years old soon as well! I do feel like time is flying by. At first 2010 seemed so far away as I counted down the weeks until we meet Caleb, but now that it is here, I am realizing I need to cherish every moment I have as a family of 3 and take advantage of the precious time I have with just Ethan! I plan to stop working the week before my scheduled c-section so that I can get things prepared and spend quality time with Ethan. Great things are in store for 2010. Matt and I plan to continue to diligently work on getting out of debt and managing our finances better. I just wrote on facebook how proud of my family we are. I know we are very RICH compared to most of the world, but compared to the area we live in and others, we are living off of a small income as a family of 3 and soon to be 4. I don't say that for any reason other than it is only by God's blessings that I am able to work part time, stay at home with my babies, Matt is working the job of his dreams and finishing school. It took a long time to get where I am at now, but my heart is full and happy. My priorities have changed and I don't desire the things I used to. I pray that your year is a great one and that you commit to furthering relationships with people and follow after God's heart and plan for your life. There is NOTHING else that will bring you joy and peace!
Here is a picture of Matt and I on New Year's Eve. We are very thankful to have family close by that Ethan has a great relationship with. So thank you Papa & Grammy for watching Ethan while Matt and I rang in the new year. (I can't remember the last time I stayed up that late!!!)