Girly girl

Megan & Ethan (1 of 8), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

You can't quite tell from her expression, but she was having a blast. She has put in the curlers three times since this day. Of course she also proclaims how she now looks like Nana! 5 years old going on the teenage years all too quickly!

Family Weekend

Megan & Ethan (6 of 8), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

This weekend, we got to have a great family weekend. We celebrated Aunt Rosie's birthday along with a belated family celebration of Megan's birthday too! Grandpa, Aunt Rosie, and Uncle Ed came to town. Uncle Doug and Aunt Gina came down to spend the day, as did Cheryl and cousin Madison. My nephew had to work, so we weren't able to celebrate with him, but at least his family made it to share in the family time!

Here is a picture of Grandpa with his three little kids. All grown up I guess.

When Ethan wakes up, Megan is usually the first on the season to help cheer and entertain her little brother. So of course she was teaching Madison just how it was done! She even made Madi follow the "take off your shoes" rule. Better than trying to enforce any stay out of the crib rule anyway.

Cutie Pies!

Ethan reindeer, originally uploaded by homanhouse.

That time of year. So here is a sneak peek of this year's Christmas photos. Yes, yes then it won't be such a surprise if you get some. I just hate to rob you of any time with these cute cute kids (ahem - I AM their mother you know!)

Baby ETHAN!! 6 months old

Soon I won't say "Baby" anymore. He'll just be Ethan. It goes so incredibly quickly!

So today Ethan had his 6 month check up.
Measurement Summary (since I NEVER remember to capture these!)
17 lb 4 oz = 50th percentile
27.5" long (or tall!) = 75th percentile
17-1/2 inch head size = 75th percentile.
He has TWO teeth (which he has had for about six weeks already) and is TRYING to cut some top ones still.

He is growing growing! Our premature baby (5 weeks early!) has caught up completely. He hits all his milestones and is quite active. He eats one jar of stage 2 baby food at a sitting, and sometimes polishes off two in one sitting! He has been eating baby food since just before he turned 4 months. He was almost demanding it by then, the formula was just not enough for him!

He turned 6 months last week and it has been a busy time for him.

Friday, he had surgery to get TUBES in his ears. He was one continuous ear infection and miserable kid, and already he seems better for the tubes (which he has had 4 days).
He is much like his sister in this way. (Post: Megan gets tubes)

Sunday, he suddenly wheezed and made all sorts of awful breathing noises, and we rushed him to the ER (because this all happened at midnight of course). They diagnosed him with CROUP. Megan never had this, and I had no experience with wheezing, coughing and barking that came on suddenly with no congestion, fever, runny nose or ANY other symptom. So they gave him a steroid, and that seems to have helped. He still has a bit of a chest issue, but seems much better (check out his bouncing baby jumperoo video, taken today). He is fine. Just sounds funny at times!

Ethan can stand with support (usually Megan's who loves helping him do this). He sits up, and only falls over occasionally now! He is a pro at rolling over from tummy to back to tummy. He's quick so you have to watch him! He wants to crawl, but just can't get those knees under him yet. It won't be long!

So that is a summary of our Ethan at 6 months! He is still our baby Ethan.

Legs of Steel

Ethan Jumperoo, originally uploaded by homanhouse.

He must have some crazy leg muscles working! He jumps and jumps and jumps and jumps. Ethan here in his favorite jumperoo.

Sweet siblings

Such sweet love here!


Kids Nov 2010 (3 of 8), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

EthanEthan!

Ethan Nov 10 (16 of 22), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

I love this one. His eyes are changing. You really start to see some of his face here -- developing from a baby baby to our little boy!

Helping Daddy

Kids Nov 2010 (7 of 8), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

She is great at sanitizing bottles for the beer bottling! Daddy's little helper you know!

Megan asleep

Kids Nov 2010 (1 of 8), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

I swear she has litigation in her blood. I can't tell you how many times we find we have to be even more explicit with her in giving instructions than we think we should.

For example - Megan - you sleep in YOUR room. Do not come get in our bed. We don't sleep well with you in our bed.

Ummmm, I guess we never EXPRESSLY forbid the use of the DOG bed (BESIDE our bed), so we found this later completely asleep missing half her pajamas in the DOG bed. New instructions have been edited!

Expressive face

Kids Nov 2010 (8 of 8), originally uploaded by homanhouse.

Really, she wasn't even in a foul mood. Just camera face I guess.
Our sweet sweet girl. I just love this girl. She has turned into the most amazing AMAZING big sister I could ever imagine. She just loves her brother, and misses him when he isn't around. I catch her checking the baby monitor during his naps just to see if he is awake yet. And as soon as he is, she is cooing at him from her own stool she keeps just beside his crib. Our sweet girl. And Ethan never has a bigger smile than when he is looking and playing with Meg.

Here Megan has set up one of her favorite tents with her brother. Poor dog, she even looks a little left out. Megan, once the constant pet lover, seems to just enjoy her brother even more. At least for now when he can't really bother her too much!