{ Ethan and Simon }

Ethan has this new fascination with our dog, Simon.

Simon has always been interested in Ethan. He loves to hang out around his highchair and wait for food to drop.

Sometimes he likes to try and lick off Ethan’s fingers.

Ethan thinks he’ll like it too, so he offers down his fingers.

He feels that slimy tongue and decides (like the rest of us) that that’s gross.

Then we all run to get to Ethan before he puts said fingers in his mouth.

Ethan’s love for Simon mainly centers around his crate. Whenever Simon is outside Ethan tries to crawl into it. It usually has hair and dirt surrounding it, so when I pick him up he feels a little like a human lint roller. I try to brush him off and carry him back to his toys, but within minutes he’s back again.

When Simon is in his crate, Ethan likes to come right up to him and “play” with him. Simon usually gives me this look…

“Really, I have to play with him. He can’t even walk. Or talk. Or get me a doggie treat.” I think he silently thinks about teaching Ethan how to unhook his crate so he will let him out, or teach him how to open his treat drawer so Simon can help himself to some snacks. I’m sure he’d be willing to share with Ethan too. And I’m sure Ethan would be a willing party to try them as well.

After a while, they both a get a little bored. Simon usually whines to be let out, and Ethan crawls off to find another adventure.

Stairs…those look good.

Thank goodness he hasn’t figured out how to climb them yet. I am not quite ready to haul my baby gate out of the attic. Until then, he likes to go and kneel by them. He bops up and down in his excitement.

Sometimes he checks if I am watching him…

…when I call his name, he smiles…and then goes back to trying to figure out how to actually get on those things. He hears the click of my camera and then makes a bee line to try and catch me.

There are usually some minor complications as he tries to get away. That chubby little tummy can be such an annoyance sometimes, especially when moving is involved.

And as always, one adventure leads to another, so off to bigger and better things for this guy. The kitchen bench is his newest thing.

Until, I suggest otherwise so he doesn’t hit him mouth on the edge.

He doesn’t like being told no.

He sticks out that little pouty lip for us and we try real hard to take him serious. But, we know better, and usually scoop him up to try and make him giggle. He digs his face into our shoulder and laughs as he wiggles his legs back and forth from all the tickling under his arms.

We set him down so he can get back to his exploring…

..but not before we get one last look from this little cutie. It usually results in a repeat of the tickle, giggle, wiggle game. We just can’t resist that face.

{ Ethan at 6 Months and His Thoughts on Eating }

It seems like a lot has changed since  I wrote down Ethan’s last monthly review. Mostly eating and sleeping-and unfortunately neither are in my favor. Boo! Ethan got a cold when we returned from our summer vacations and had a hard time sleeping with a cough and really stuffed up nose. We tried our best to keep him comfortable, but he usually ended back up in our bed at night and couldn’t sleep for very long before wanting some comfort. Comfort turned into a habit and now his and our sleeping schedule is all messed up. He is back to waking up every couple of hours to eat. Which leads to our next issue.

This kid hates baby food. We have tried every trick in the book to get him to eat it, but he has a very real hatred for baby food. His food of choice is saltine crackers. That’s it. He doesn’t really care for baby puffs, Cheerios, Baby Mums, Ritz crackers, banana pieces he can feed himself, or anything else we try to let him feed himself. Every few day I try to trick him and I pull out a jar of baby food and he reminds me very quickly how he feels about it. So for now, we are still just nursing –he has some pretty strong opinions about bottles and formula too, and just nibbling on a few crackers when he can. He went to the doctor for his 6 month check up and he is over 16lbs, so I’m pretty sure he is getting enough to eat! I just wish some nights at 3am he was getting more from a spoon.

Despite hating baby food, he really does love his highchair. He will happily stay in it while I am making dinner and nibble on his crackers or smile as the kids try to dance around and entertain him. He laughs now, a big full on baby giggle, and we just go crazy when we hear it.

And as of now, still no teeth. Maybe as he gets a few teeth he will be able to have a little more table food and he’ll just skip the baby food all together. For now, we are just enjoying that cute little toothless grin for a while longer.

{ Attention: We have a crawler..I repeat we have a crawler on aisle 8 }

I’m not sure that any kid ever in the history of histories has received as much cheering as Ethan has in his short 6 months that he has been with us. You’d think that being the tail end of a pretty big group of kids you’d get the raw end of the deal in the attention department..but I would have to whole heartedly disagree when it comes to Ethan.

I think you must have to be pretty patient to be kid #8. It takes a lot of faith and courage to sit up there in heaven watching your siblings go down one by one, and just wait… hoping that your poor ol’ parents won’t get burnt out.

And then finally it’s your turn!

And all the fun that you’ve dreamed of having with those wild and crazy siblings you remember so well from heaven finally comes true. And they watch you so closely,…

…really tracking your every move. But instead of feeling kind of creeped out like your being stalked or something, you just giggle and coo and really can’t quite get enough of it.

And neither can they. All that patience sure paid off, because now instead of just having dear old mom and dad to cheer you on when you do something as momentous as crawling..well, you get 7 other little people screaming from the sidelines too.

Life never looked so good. And now that I can get whatever I want…it’s even better.

Sure those big boys think that their stuff is safe..

..but I’m fast. They try to distract me with some other little toy to keep my mind off of their really cool stuff.

But I don't buy it. I just wait until they are busy building again and then go for it.Yep, they love me!

{ Little Rituals-Naptime }

It’s funny how we remember things from our childhood. I have this one memory of when I was about four or five and I was upstairs at our 32nd street house. My oldest brother was having a birthday party outside and I was suppose to be taking a nap in my moms room. I remember laying there not sleeping, but instead using my fingers to trace around all the intricate little details on her wooden headboard. It had swirls and carvings that I ran my tiny little fingers through again and again just waiting for sleep to come. But how could one sleep with all the fun and excitement happening outside? I finally couldn’t take it anymore and snuck to peak out the window to see all the festivities outside. They were having a water party and throwing water balloons at each other. I ran from one window to the next in my mom’s room, then switched to the hall bathroom window so I could see more of the games. My memory ends there. I am not sure if naptime was officially over and I was allowed to come downstairs or if I finally fell asleep. What I do know is that that was a time before I fully appreciated what a gift naptime is.

Naptime at our house is a gift, and one that I receive and give out freely. Anyone that knows me know how I protect my naptime. I won’t schedule appointments or outings during that time. I don’t answer the phone or the door. I just cuddle up with all my little people who aren’t in school and we nap. It’s a little ritual that I depend on physically (I think I am just one that needs lots of sleep) and one that as a mother I treasure deeply. Our naptime almost always is in our bed-which the kids think it such a privilege since it’s so “fluffy and cozy” according to Ryan. We have lunch then I say to Ryan, “What time is it?” and he sings back, “The best time of the day!” Naptime. We read a story of their choosing and then we enjoy a peaceful nap until the girls come in the door from school.

Sometimes we sleep long, sometimes we sleep short. And sometimes I even get woke up from the phone ringing or the dog barking. When I do, I look over and see my little boys sleeping so soundly and peaceful. All the messes and rowdiness of the day melt away, and I just sit and watch them for awhile. Their long eyelashes flutter and I silently wish that these little naptimes wouldn’t have to end when they grow up and off they go to school. I wish I could hold them close a little longer, and cuddle them a little more…even if it’s just at naptime.

{ Silly Faces }

Brooke is my expert diaper changer around this place. She practically jumps at the chance, and does it every time I ask her to help out and do it. This day after she had changed him she was playing around with him, and he was super alert and making the funniest faces. Those double chins of his and his wild little tongue crack me up. He seems so grown up to me in these pictures, and that makes me so sad! Didn’t he get the memo entitled “Don’t grow too fast”?

He had his two week appointment on Wednesday and he was already 8lbs. 14oz. His neck is getting stronger and he is more awake during the day. He likes his bouncy seat, the Baby Bjorn front carrier, and being held. He is a super good eater, as his weight can attest to, and is the master of taking little cat naps.

{ Tiny Baby }

Weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. I think hardly qualifies you as a tiny baby, but even now when I look at Ethan he just looks so little to me. He sleeps in our room at night, and by morning is usually in our bed. I look at him and he seems kind of lost on this big king sized bed of ours. I can’t help but think about how fast he will grow and before I know it he will fill my arms like Ryan does, and then my lap like Scott does, and then will be towering over me like Austin is. How I wish I could stop time for awhile and just keep him this tiny.