Ethan turned 3 today!

Ethan: “What happened to 2? Did it go up in the sky?”

Reasons why I was MIA...

My blogging friend asked me why I was MIA for the entire month of November. In case you're curious too, here are my reasons...

1. Emily didn't sleep through the night for almost 3 weeks when her bottom teeth were coming in. Plus, she's never been one to take naps...so blogging was the furthest thing from my mind, due to exhaustion.
2. As soon as Emily got back to her normal routine, Ethan's however, has not been consistent. He's been resisting naptime and hopping into mommy and daddy's bed anywhere from 1 to 6 a.m. (it varies). I've been too tired to walk him back to his bed, but now I'm going to start before it becomes a habit. Don't get me wrong...we love snuggling with Ethan, but not until the sun comes up (which is what we keep reiterating to him). We personally, do not want a "family bed".
   
3. I've been very behind on my photo albums (editing, printing, labeling, inserting) and can barely keep up with Facebook, let alone my blog.
   
4. Lastly, as much as I love blogging...I've been trying to prioritize my schedule to improve productivity. I've been spending more time with my family, going to bed earlier, and staying busy maintaining household duties (with my husband's help, since we make a good team and he's kind enough to share them with me).
5. We went out-of-town for several family events (Day Out with Thomas, birthday parties, Thanksgiving, etc.) in November. I'll post pics soon!
   

From now on, my goal is to try to blog at least once a week. However, please forgive me if I get behind. If you're a mother of two little ones like myself, I know you can relate. :)

I'm back to blogging :)

I didn't blog in the month of November at all, due to reasons I won't get into. However, I finally posted two new blogs and will try to post updates on my kids within the next week or so. Life has been very busy for me lately, as I'm sure most of you can relate.

Happy holidays & God bless,
Amber

2009 Christmas ecard

"The amount of cards sold in the US during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high, and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees."

When I read that statistic I thought..."How ridiculous! More people should consider sending out ecards this Christmas!"

After doing a quick Google search, I found a free website - Pingg, which was exactly what I was looking for. In fact, it exceeded all of my expectations and I highly recommend it.

Check out our 2009 Christmas ecard (if you haven't already done so).

Christmas Trees: Real or Artificial?

I've been debating over whether or not to stick with fresh cut Christmas trees, or invest in buying an artificial tree.

After reading two different articles with opposing viewpoints: How to have a 'green' Christmas & Fake evergreens are truly ever green, I'm still undecided. Fortunately, both types of trees are good for the environment in their own way.

Here are some of the reasons why I like fresh cut trees:

• I love the scent and the way they feel.
• I like supporting my local Christmas tree farm.
• Now that my son is older, he finds it very exciting to pick out his own tree.
• Real trees are almost fully recyclable and don't end up in landfills.
• There's no storage required, which means more space in my garage.
  

Here are some of the reasons why I like artificial trees:

• They're more cost-effective than real trees, since they last for years.
  
• I think an artificial tree might be better for my son and I, since we both have eczema. In addition, my son suffers from food/seasonal allergies.
  
• Some artificial trees look and feel very real.
• Most of them don't pose a fire hazard (my worst fear) like real trees do.
  
• They require minimal maintenance (if any).

What's your preference and why?

Ethan picking out his 2nd fresh cut Christmas tree
Almost 2 years old ~ December 2008

Ethan picking out his 1st fresh cut Christmas tree
Almost 1 year old ~ December 2007

Thomas the Train swing

My father-in-law made two airplane swings - one for his boys when they were little, and one for his grandsons. However, this is the first Thomas the Train swing that he's made and I can't believe how cute it turned out! It was my mother-in-law's idea, but Ryan helped with the design. Then Allan built it and Mary painted it. Ethan, of course loves it and is getting one made for his backyard.

Soon, they will design a ladybug swing for their only granddaughter, Emily. They are so talented! I told them they seriously need to start a business making swings when they retire. A handful of people have already said they would buy one. :)

Thomas the Train swing made by
Grandpa Allan & Grandma Mary for their three grandsons

Sweet dreams

The other day Ethan and I were sitting at the table eating a snack. He had just woken up from his nap and was in a very chatty mood. As he proceeded to tell me a story I stopped and asked him, "Did this happen today, yesterday, or a long time ago?" When he told me it happened today, I knew he was simply recalling a dream he had during his nap. He's never described his dreams in such detail before, so I was very surprised and caught off guard. Here's how our conversation went:

Ethan: "There was an earthquake at YayYay & Grandma Mary's house. There were sparkly things (*uses hand motions to show me*). It was shaking (*shakes fists together*). Grandma Mary came to check on me. I was in the green bed."

Me: "What green bed?"

Ethan: "Sissy's bed...the Pack 'n Play."

Me: "Were you big or little?"

Ethan: "I was a baby. I was little."

Me: "What else did you see or what else happened?"

Ethan: "There were bugs in the computer room in the tunnel at YayYay's house. YayYay was wearing a shirt because he didn't want a sunburn. He didn't want bugs on his tummy. He must be full because he ate lunch with me."

Me: "Then what happened?"

Ethan: "Nothin'...that's it."

Ethan's random quotes of the day 10/16/09

Ethan said to his baby sister: "My name is Ethan, your name is sissy. We're both nice to each other."

Later on, he said to me: "I want sissy to go back in your tummy, eat your booby and get milk, and go into time-out. When I get bigger I will put her in time-out. OK?"

Where does he come up with this stuff? LOL :)

Flu vaccines

http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/

*Note: This post is not intended for debate. I'm not even sure of whether or not my family and I will be getting the swine flu vaccine (in addition to the regular flu vaccine). I just wanted to post this link for those of you who would like more information and/or are a fan of Dr. Sears.

*GOOD DAY*

Today was a good day for the following reasons:

1. Ethan's ring bearer tux for his cousin Christan's wedding arrived today and it fit perfectly! It was such a great deal. I bought it brand new on eBay for a total of $30, which is half of the price in a specialty store. When I told him I wanted to take some pictures, he didn't hesitate and ran outside to pose for me. =)
   
2. I witnessed one of the cutest things ever! Ethan was entertaining his baby sister and got her to crack up with laughter for the longest time. My stomach hurt from laughing so hard.
3. Ethan surprised me by putting away his outdoor toys all by himself. He put them exactly where they go (in and out of the garage). I was so pleased that he did it without me having to ask him.
   

Trying on his ring bearer tux for his cousin Christan's wedding
2 1/2 years old

Such a little poser...love it!

"Ok mommy...I'm done trying this on!" =)

Ethan's first dental visit

Ethan went to the dentist for the first time on Thursday, September 10th. He was so excited to show off his pearly whites. He had been preparing for his visit by flossing and brushing daily. According to him, he was a "big boy" and definitely proved it that day. Here is a preview of his experience...

Not quite sure what to expect

Checking out the nice dental hygienist

"Aww"

Surprised at how cooperative he was being

Using the "fuzzy bumper" (a clever name by the dental hygienist)

Almost done...

Ethan's "hair" quotes of the day 9/10/09

When Ryan rolled down his window while driving Ethan said: "No daddy! My hair will blow out."

After I washed my hair he said: "Mmm...your hair smells good. It smells like air conditioner." (I don't think he meant to say "air". LOL)

Feed me mommy!

Yesterday I fed my 4-month-old baby her first bowl of organic whole grain rice cereal mixed with breastmilk, which she loved.

I decided I'm going to slowly introduce her to solids, since she's still tiny and can't sit-up on her own just yet. I'm starting off by giving her rice cereal every other day.

Ethan was so excited to have his sister join him for dinner. He moved her high chair right next to his.

The sad thing is...Ethan is outgrowing his high chair, so we're getting him a booster chair soon. This will be the only week that I'll have both of my babies in high chairs. I don't want them to get any bigger! =(

Getting ready to give Emily rice cereal for the first time...
4 months old & 2 1/2 years old

"Feed me mommy!"

They won't be in high chairs together for long =(

Not sure what to do at first, but ended up loving it

Messy baby

She discovered what to do...LOL

SURPRISE!

Ryan enjoyed his 30th birthday on Friday, August 28th. I got him good! I planned a surprise party for him and he didn't expect it at all. He had never had a surprise party before.

Well, it wasn't really a party. I had our family meet at his restaurant for dinner, since he was working. The look on his face was priceless when his staff joined us singing "Happy Birthday" to him. =)

I also surprised him when he came home from work by having our house decorated.

Thanks to everyone who helped make his 30th birthday special and a day that he'll never forget!

SURPRISE!
I was thinking..."Haha, we got him good!"

Ethan enjoyed surprising his daddy

Emily and her cousin Jonah are checking out the fascinating hand in front of the camera...LOL
4 months old & 8 months old

Hanging out with mommy, Ethan, Aunt Teresa,
Aunt Kaitlyn, Aunt Lauren, Grandma Denielle, Grandpa Tim,
Grandma Mary, Grandpa Al, and cousins - Memphis & Jonah

Little munchkins patiently waiting for their dinner
2 1/2 years old

The girls ♥

Memphis can't get enough of her little cousin
2 1/2 years old & 4 months old

So excited to spend time with daddy on his birthday ♥

Memphis is thinking...
"Uncle RyRy's birthday cake looks yummy! I want a lick."

Loves her little niece ♥

Table decorations

Happy 30th birthday honey!

Wow...what a day!

I couldn't sleep last night because a darn mosquito kept biting me, so I ended up taking Benadryl. I finally found it in my bed at 2 a.m. and killed it after waking up my hubby...poor Ryan!

Ethan came jumping on me at 6:30 a.m. I was half asleep, so he took off. He came back into my room eating a banana and had six panties around his waist that he had gotten from my clean laundry pile. He's quite a character and becoming Mr. Independent. =)

I called Ryan at work to tell him what happened and he asked if I took a picture of Ethan. I would have, but I was too tired to get my camera. It's too bad though, since it would have been a hilarious picture.

Best friends

Ethan and Emily's relationship is growing stronger each day and they are becoming best friends. It's the sweetest thing to watch how they interact with one another.

Ethan tries to pick her up to hold her and we have to constantly remind him to ask us, so we can assist him. He loves playing with "sissy" and gives her lots of affection. He hugs and kisses her throughout the day, which always brings a smile to her face. When Emily's being fussy, her brother's laugh and smile are infectious. He knows exactly how to cheer her up.

My clever son figured out how to pop off the childproofed doorknob covers, so every morning as soon as I hear a "pop" in the monitor I run to catch him before he climbs into her crib. I guess you could call it my wake-up call. I'm making a joke, but it's really not funny. It's sweet that he's excited to see her first thing in the morning, but I don't like how he tries to dash into her room like a puppy ready to play. He tells us he wants to "cuddle with sissy". Sometimes she's still sound asleep and he startles her. Ryan and I are trying to figure out a solution, without keeping her room so childproofed that we won't be able to get in. Any suggestions?

Several days ago, I took Ethan to the grocery store with me. Emily was at home napping with Ryan. After we finished shopping and were approaching our truck, a panicked look came across Ethan's face. He asked, "Mommy, where's sissy? We left sissy in the truck!" I said, "We did? Are you sure?" As soon as I opened the door, he scanned the inside of the truck like a little detective. It was the cutest thing. He was so concerned. Then he looked at me with a sigh of relief and said, "We left sissy at E's house. We left daddy and sissy." It took him a minute, but he remembered that she was safe at home with daddy. As soon as we got to E's house (according to him it's HIS house), he checked on her in her crib to make sure she was really there.

These are just a few stories about my two little angels and I know there will be many more to come. I am enjoying watching them grow up together and feel so blessed to have my boy and girl that I knew I was destined to have. God is good!

Ethan not feeling well & snuggling with his baby sister

2 1/2 years old & 4 months old

Emily trying to watch "Thomas & Friends" with her brother

Hanging out at the park with my babies
3 months old & 2 1/2 years old

Ethan's way of playing trains with Emily
3 1/2 months old & 2 1/2 years old

Giving her "knuckles" a.k.a. "pounds"

XOXO

Not happy when her brother first jumped into her crib =(
3 1/2 months old & 2 1/2 years old

Helping "sissy" grab her toes

Loves hanging out in her ladybug crib

Having fun in Emily's crib
6 weeks old & 2 1/2 years old

Love my babies

He can't stop touching her hair
1 month old & 2 years old

Ethan wondering what's in her mouth

Sometimes he's actually nice to his "sissy"

Love my little ones
2 years old & 3 weeks old

Loves his baby sister
2 years old & 3 weeks old