sick toddler

Ethan has been fighting a cold all of last week, but he was not too fussy, and he did not have a fever. Saturday, he developed a cough. By Sunday night, the cough was more constant. I took him to the doctor this afternoon to discover that he has an ear infection along with a bad cold. Ethan must have a pretty high pain tolerance because he does seem to upset about any of it. He is definitely not himself, but things could surely be worse! After I got him home from the doctor and going on a quick grocery run, he ate some dinner, took a bath, and went straight to bed. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick right in and he will be healed! We do not want this cold and ear infection to turn into anything worse; we have had worse, and it is not fun...especially during this special time of the year!

Needless to say, I do not feel awesome either. I have been fine, until yesterday. Ethan and I both stayed home from church (mainly because of his runny nose and cough), but by yesterday early evening, I had a pretty bad headache and a runny nose. I still have it today, and there is only so much that I can do. I know that I should go to bed, but I do not feel tired enough to sleep. Perhaps I will just lay in bed and watch TV!

I am counting down the days until Christmas break! Matt and I are so excited to buy Ethan presents (big boy toys)! Nearly all of his toys are infant to 12 months, so he is actually in some need of more complext toddler-oriented items. Our Christmas celebrations as our precious family are only going to be more and more fun as the years go by!

No pink in this house!

We are expecting baby boy #2! We are excited; we would have been no matter what the gender. All we want is a happy and healthy family. We have not decided on a name yet. Before we knew what Ethan was, we had a girl name and a boy name determined. Matt and I have not been as decisive with this baby. We have plenty of time left to decide, and we are not stressing about anything. I have never stressed about all the baby stuff. After all, there is only so much that you really need at first when the new baby comes home!

I have this entire week off, and I am loving every minute being home with my boys! I surely needed the extra rest and relaxation! So far I have done several loads of laundry, graded essays, cooked many meals, and cleaned our bathroom...sure doesn't sound like rest does it?? As long as I am at home and not having to be somewhere, I am resting and happy! Ethan has loved playing with someone else besides Daddy and the doggies. He makes us smile every day! He melts both our hearts saying "Daddy," and giving his smushy kisses! Such a love boy!

Ethan is getting very independent. I know it is all part of him learning and growing. He wants to get his own cup out, do everything like we do, push his own car outside, feed the doggies, put on his own shoes....etc. The list goes on. He will get rather frustrated when things do not go according to his plan. If only he knew what the future will hold!

Pregnancy update:
weeks pregnant: a lil over 22 weeks

cravings: nothing in particular. I just feel hungry all the time.

maternity clothes: definitely in the pants! Some shirts, but many things look so frompy! I do not like it!

short-term goal: still need to finish Ehtan's baby book...I will have another to do very soon! We have finished the bonus room, so there is some organizing that needs to be done in the storage area; however, that is a goal more for Matt than me. :)

baby movement: all the time! It never ceases to amaze me!

What I look forward to the most: Seeing the new face of this lil man! I cannot wait to see Ethan with his little brother!

Monkey see, monkey do!

You never really realize just how much a little toddler is learning and taking in until...
*he puts a toothbrush in his mouth and tries to brush his teeth
*he changes the channel on the TV with the remote
*he puts a Qtip in his ear
*while taking a bath, he takes the wash cloth and rubs his body; he wanted to do it this time instead of me.
*the pantry door is left open and he gets each dog a treat
*he throws away a piece of trash in the actual trash can
*he uses the toilet bowl brush to clean the toilet
*he brushes his hair with my hair brush
*he holds a cell phone to his ear and mumbles his gibberish
*he claps and yells for the doggies when they run off
*he attemps to put my or Matt's shoes on his little feet
*he crawls up on his rocking horse and begins to rock all on his own
*he wants to push his Cozy Coupe car--just like Mommy and Daddy!
*he takes a spoon and attempts to stir in a bowl or pot
*he sits and turns the pages of a book for minutes
*he bangs on the fridge wanting something cold to drink

I am sure that I am missing some really cute ones, but you get the idea!

New baby coming= more updating to the house!

Before Ethan was born, Matt and I decided to get rid of our carpets and install laminate hardwood floors; this was one of the best decisions we have made! With 2 dogs and a lil rugrat running around, life is so much easier in the house!

Now that we are expecting #2, several conversations have come up between me and Matt. Should we get a van or SUV? Should we try and buy a slightly bigger house in the next few years? Should we finish our bonus room over the garage? The last question is honestly something that we have been debating since we bought the house 5 years ago. We had convinced ourselves that it was not worth it because we would most likely not get out money back when selling. Well, we have gone round and round, but the bonus is room is now finished...except for the trim and carpet. It has been a long 2 weeks of installation, but it will all be worth it in the end! It has driven me crazy to have my garage even more of a mess than it already was;to have both cars in the driveway or street;and to have a mess in general of tools, paint, dust, and everything else. We are hoping that over the next week the new addition will be complete and we will all have yet another room to destroy with toys, juice, and snacks! :)

There are a few other things that we want to do in th house, but this is by far the biggest one. As always, there is some organizational stuff that I want to do, but I always find something else to do--even if it is just playing with Ethan or relaxing.

I have still been feeling incredible! People ask me (every single day) how I am feeling, and I am not lying or stretching the truth at all when I say great. Some of my friends hate (not really!) seeing how well I do with pregnancy because their stories are not the same. God has truly blessed me beyond belief in this area. My belly is getting bigger and bigger by the day; a few students have even made little comments about it! It is hard to believe that life will be changing so much in the next few months! I could not ask for more!

Busy mommy with another baby on the way!

I feel so bad that I have not blogged at all about our second precious baby! I was laid back with Ethan, and I still am, but I feel even more relaxed with this one. I had a marvelous pregnancy, labor, and delivery with E; so far, this one is just as smooth! I am astounded at the energy I have after working with 8th graders all day, coming home to a house that has been terrorized by a 16 month old and a at-home working daddy, cleaning up, fixing dinner, playing with Ethan, sometimes running an errand, and then settling us all down for the night. I remember when I was pregnant with Ethan that I would take a nap when I got home from school, and still go to bed by 9. All I can say is that this energy is from God! Now don't get me wrong...I am exhausted at times. Especially once the weekend comes! I have looked forward to this 3 day weekend for quite some time now! I enjoy just being lazy and hanging out with my 2 boys!

My only complaint with this pregnancy is that I do have a hard time sleeping at night (see, strange that I am not exhausted during the day!). I have been having to pee at least once in the middle of the night since I was about 8 weeks pregnant. Once I get up, I will literally toss and turn in bed for sometimes over 2 hours. My mind will not go back to sleep. I wish I could say that I was stressed or feeling anxious, but I feel nothing of that sort. Sad to say, but this whole sleep thing will only get worse over the next several months! And then the lack of sleep altogether from a newborn baby!

Pregnancy update:
weeks pregnant:16 (it is already going by so quickly!)

cravings: anything! I feel like all I want to do is eat! I want Oreos, salad, fruit, cheese...you name it!

maternity clothes: pants, yes. My waist has thickened a lot faster this go round!

short-term goal: finish Ehtan's baby book...I will have another to do very soon!

baby movement: you would think that I would know for sure if I feel the baby or not, but I am really not so certain. I felt Ethan flutter right at 16 weeks, and from then on, it was constant. I have felt a few things, but nothing too strong yet.

weight gain: according to my scale, about 4 pounds.

memory from this week: taking a nap with Ethan snuggled up against me. I guess you could say that we both had enough of NFL football this afternoon!

I will try my hardest to blog more often! I am one busy mommy and wife! I will definitely be better once the new little one is here!

Sick again?!?

When I got home from work on Friday, Ethan sneezed a few times in a row, and Matt's comment was, "Yeah, he has been doing that all day. I think he is getting sick." In the back of my mind, I had convinced myself that E was fine. Well, all day yesterday Ethan had a runny nose, and the snot was often greenish in color. Not good. He has been in a great mood, so that leads me to believe that it is not anything too serious--although we have learned that E has a high pain tolerance (just like me!).

Ethan woke up this morning congested, coughing, and a nasty runny nose. Needless to say, Ethan an I are staying home from church. Even though he does not have a fever and is happy, I am not sending him to the nursery. Ethan has become an expert with taking medicine. We come towards him with the dropper, and he leans in and opens up! Good thing the meds are fruit flavored!

It is rather frustrating that Ethan was just sick and on antibiotics, and now here we are again! I am hoping that this is a cold, and it will pass in the next few days. But you can never be too careful with lil ones! Their immune system is so much weaker, and it scares me to think of how sick he could become if we just ignore it.

I am sitting on the couch right now watching him watch Dinosaur Train--one of my favorite lil kids shows! He looks so big staring at the TV and intrigued by the show.

My husband=super daddy!

Matt has never ceased to amaze me in the way the he fathers Ethan. Matt has the awesome opportunity to be with Ethan day in and day out at home. Matt's job allows him to work from home, and we are so thankful for that. His job does not require him to be at a computer or anything nonstop, so he is able to play with Ethan. Matt will send me text messages and pictures of him and Ethan, and it just melts my heart to see him so excited to be home with his boy. He does not make me jealous one bit; I could not think of anyone else that I would want to have watching Ethan and taking my spot during the day. I tell Matt all the time that not many dads can say that they are so involved with their children, and it is so true. Matt has not once complained. Sure, he loves the moment I walk in the door and of course the weekends, but he also looks forward to hearing that sweet laugh all throughout the house.

The first 2 weeks I was back at work Matt's mom came over to help with Ethan. Her goal was to help Ethan transition without mommy at home, but I was not one bit worried since Matt was there. Matt has a system with Ethan. They cook and eat breakfast together, play outside, watch cartoons, play guitar and sometimes PS3, eat lunch, Ethan naps, and then just play until mommy comes home! When Nana was here, Ethan was not napping until 3pm or even later. I supppose the little guy was too excited and busy playing to wind down for a nap! Now Matt has E on such a routine that Ethan will not cry at all when Matt has to leave him in the play area while Matt goes to take a customer call. Matt will leave him in there lying on the floor watching his GPS shows, and before long, Ethan is sound asleep. I call to talk to Matt throughout the day, and he is always happy and doing great! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and father to Ethan!

I could not fathom taking Ethan to day care or anything right now, for many reasons. We are saving so much money, and I have such a peace of mind knowing that Ethan is in his father's care each day. I love my sweet little family and the way that God has provided for us.