Poor sick baby Ethan

My little man has been fighting with a pretty bad virus the past several days. It all started this past Saturday with a fever. We didn't think too much of it and assumed it was the start of some more teething. Sunday morning I noticed some nasal congestion as I was nursing him, but again, passed it off as teething; this all happened about 2 months ago when his first 2 teeth broke through. The fever continued all day Sunday and Monday. The only way to keep it down was with Motrin. He was so congested that he struggled to eat or sleep, which also meant that Matt and I were struggling as well. I decided to take him to the doctor on Monday. He received a pretty strong anti-biotic shot and he also had a chest Xray done. The doc was concerned that he might have some breathing issues, or possibly pneumonia again. We returned to the doctor the next day as a follow-up. It was a good thing because Ethan had gotten worse, and Matt and I were running on little sleep. I was worried so badly for Ethan. He was not able to get any rest, and it was nearly impossible for him to eat. Here is everything that was going on with Ethan:
*fever of nearly 103 for 3 days
*severe nasal congestion
*white puss pockets on throat
*small questionable area in left lung (possible pneumonia)
*fluid behind both ears
*white blood cell count up (indicates infection)

Poor guy! We left the doctor yesterday with another anti-biotic shot and 3 days worth of an oral steroid. Needless to say, he seemed better within about 5 hours. It seems as if he has done nothing but sleep today. It makes me nervous for what this may mean for tonight, but I don't care. I just want him to be better!

God is so good. This is my spring break, so thankfully, I have been home to take care of him. Matt has been wonderful, as always. But as with any baby, Ethan only wants his mama. I am glad that Matt did not have to deal with him on his own. Last time Ethan got really sick was over Christmas break. God is really watching out for us by allowing me to be here during his sickness. While it does stink for me to spend my break at home and not running errands, seeing friends, and enjoying the outside, the good part is that we are saving money and spending quality relaxing time together as a family!

Our Little Explorer

So many changes over the past month! Ethan is crawling all over the place; that happened a few days after the teeth finally broke through. People kept telling me that once he was crawling, I would wish he could just sit still again. I beg to differ! Yes, he is everywhere, but it is so much fun! We really give Ethan free reign all over the house. He loves crawling down the hall and venturing into his bedroom. We will follow him back there to find him playing in the floor. He knows exactly where the broom is...for some odd reason he is obsessed with the broom/mop! He is so funny. Sometimes he will go off by himself, while other times he wants us to be right there with him. It is so entertaining to watch him investigate anything in his way. The smallest things bring so much amusement to his little precious mind.

Just yesterday, he pulled himself up to standing! The loook on his face was absolutely priceless; it was as if he knew what he had just accomplished! Only problem now is that he seems to get a little frustrated because he wants to be able to stand completely on his own. Now that it is a bit warmer, we are keeping his socks off--it makes attempting to stand (and soon walk!) much easier since we have wood floors.

I love him more and more each day. I am not wanting to rush his childhood, but I look forward to what is next. Sometimes I wish he could just walk and talk...seems like it would make life much easier at times!

He has teeth!

After many months of drooling, gnawing on anything in sight, and restless sleep, Ethan has 2 bottom teeth! He has definitely discovered them as well; his little tongue will investigate these new items in his mouth. I know we have a slow process ahead of us as they all come in...

Ethan is definitely talking a whole lot more! He is more vocal and is rarely sitting quiet and still. He has all sorts of talking sounds he makes. He started off with the "guh" syllable, and now he does "goo," "gah," "ma,"muh," and many more. At times, it sounds like he is saying "mama," but I don't think he has made that connection quite yet. It is so cool to watch himself play with his toys and talk to himself. When he gets bored, he lets us know. It's like he is making a scene to get out attention; he will yell really loud, and then look around to see if we heard him. Too funny! Sometimes he just wants to get up and change the the scenery.

He is moving all over the place, but the whole concept and art of crawling is still in the making. He will scoot around, and he will move one leg at a time. It should be soon, and then life will really change!

We love seeing all these new changes, but it is also sad to see him grow up!

These are a few of his favorite things...

Ethan is nearly 8 months old, and we are having so much fun watching him grow, laugh, and play! He has such a little personality right now! Here are his favorite things right now:

• cords and strings--we have had him sitting on his playmat with all sorts of toys, and in the midst of all the color and noise makers, he still managed to find a cord that we were letting him play with...the simplest things!
• tags--who cares about the stuffed animal when the tag is so much better?!
• Mommy's hair--he has always loved to pull on my hair
• cell phone--he really loves it when I talk to someone on speaker phone.
• remote control--yes, he loves the TV already! It amazes me how his little hands can pick up the massive remote!
• chip bags--when we are snacking on the couch, he loves the grab the bag and make noise
• jumperoo--he might not ever walk since jumping in this thing is so much fun!
• splashing in the tub--he has never given me any trouble with taking a bath; he loves splashing around and me squirting him with his toys!
• rocking--this is a new discovery for Ethan. When he is sitting up, in our lap, or in his high chair, he has figured out that he can move forward and then backward really fast without falling over. This makes us laugh so hard! He also laughs! It's like he has created his own little ride for himself.

This time is so much fun, and we know the best is still yet to come!

Sick Ethan

It is no fun being sick, and I can atest that it is no fun having a sick child--especially when the child cannot tell you what is wrong. Ethan ended up having a double ear infection, and then a few days later he was diagnosed with a small touch of pneumonia. It all started with him not sleeping at all at night; he would cry anytime I put him down. He was extremely irritable and was not eating. Later on, his nose was constantly running, he could not breathe, had a fever of about 102, and he developed a cough. Luckily this all occurred while I was home from Christmas break, but it surely put a damper on our holiday. He has been on 2 different antibiotics, which gave him a horrible diaper rash! I hate seeing my precious baby boy sick! His schedule is all messed up, but we are managing. Even though he has been so sick, he has still brought so much joy to my heart and keeps us laughing!

Ethan's 1st Christmas

It's hard to believe that Christmas is already behind us! I remember this time last year when I wa pregnant and how I dreamed about how a year later we would have a 6 1/2 month old. Now that we are here, I am in awe each day of my life and my wonderful son and husband. This was our only quiet Christmas...each one from here on out will be so much more exciting with a toddler running around and bringing even more joy to the season.



We are so blessed to have such an incredible amount of love from our family. Even though Ethan is still a baby, he got lots of presents for Christmas. Here is a breakdown of his loot:

• musical play table


• colorful play floor mats


• Pluto stuffed animal


• Cars book


• Little People tug boat


• crawl/chase toy


• musical snail


• baby food


• socks


• bib


• tambourines


• hungry pelican


• drums


• coca-cola polar bear


• Nike hat and mittens


• pjs


• sleep n play outfits


• overalls


• sweater


• plaid jacket


• plaid shirt


• piggy bank


• touch n feel book

I am sure that I am forgetting something...we have a whole lot to look forward to as he continues to grow and develop!

Matt and I will definitely say that Ethan's 1st Christmas was not all that we had imagined....Ethan was terribly sick (ear infection and the worst cold I have seen a baby with), so all of us were not able to enjoy the festivities as much as we would have hoped. Actually, we all were sick. I am not sure who had it first! Ethan slept through Christmas at my mom's house on Christmas Eve; there was no opening of presents for him! No family picture either. Christmas morning, Ethan was so sleepy and ill that we did not even have him "open" his present from Santa. We got ready, and then headed down the road to my grandparents house. On Christmas day, I felt like I spent most of the time in a bedroom away from everybody trying to settle Ethan, nurse him, or get him to sleep. He wanted nothing to do with anyone except for me. I was not able to spend time with family that I never see, and they were not able to play with Ethan. And let me tell you, I love Ethan so much, but I definitely enjoy the time when he can be with someone else for a little while and give me a break. Needless to say, no family picture here either. Oh well...pictures are simply tangible ways of remembering.



Now that this year is almost over, it brings feelings of sadness and excitement to me. I am sad to see such a great year go, and sad to see my baby boy not such a baby anymore. But even more importantly, I am excited about what is to come. We have been so blessed, and I know it will continue.

Horrible blogger!

Wow! It has been a while since I have blogged! Needless to say, we have been extremely busy! Motherhood is truly wonderful, and my bundle of joy keeps me smiling and going each day. Here are some recaps of the past few months and how he has changed:



Ethan is now eating solid foods. I have made some of the foods (carrots, peaches, and pumpkin) and we are also using already prepared baby food; I am not adventurous enough to try everything myself. His favorites are squash and applesauce. It is so cute to watch him as he tries something for the first time. We are so accustom to him just eating milk, so this is taking morediscipline on our part.

Lil man is also sitting up all on his own! He is getting so strong; he leans over to grab toys and can put himself in different positions. It does not take much to keep him entertained! He loves banging on things like a table, keyboard, etc. Anything within his reach he will try to get. He gets fascinated with hair, fans, earrings, necklaces, strings, and paper.

Ethan and our dogs are too stinking cute together! Ethan loves them and will try to grab them and rub noses with them. When he is sitting up playing, they come over and check him out. Every now and then Ethan will get tickled with them; he loves to watch them chase each other and play. He will begin to laugh and it is adorable! Oh the fun that is to come with Ethan and the girls!

Ethan definitely knows his mommy and daddy. I will come home from work, and as soon as I am in the house and he hears my voioce, he begins to whine for me. Someone else can be holding Ethan, and if he sees Matt or me nearby, he will want us. I love that he loves us so much.

I will post things more often...especially with Christmas right around the corner!