Ethan: 2 months

Are you looking at this picture thinking, 'there is no way he is 2 months already?'
Well, I am thinking the same thing. I'm also telling him to stop. right now, stop growing.
I think I'm going to blink and he's going to be asking me for the keys to the car.Ugh. Please forgive my post-partum emotions as I cry thinking about him getting older.

About Ethan:

• You are perhaps the most relaxed baby I've ever been around. You had a week where you were pretty fussy in the evening but that came and went quickly. Thank you, Lord!
• Recently, your day-sleep has been unpredictable. You have days where you sleep nearly ALL day and then other days where you take a short morning nap and short afternoon nap. Funny.
• Bedtime is somewhere around 7 and you sleep until 1-2 and then wake up around 4 and 6.
• You really like noise and try to figure out where it is coming from. Usually, it is mama and Lily talking or carrying-on and you are content just being around us.
• You wear size two diapers and believe it or not, you're wearing mostly 6 month clothes(!).
• Tummy time is going well, you find your fist and try to suck on it or just hang out on your belly.
• I like to set you on my lap with my legs crisscross applesauce (ha!) and you will sit there as long as I am sitting and talking.
• You eat every 2-3 hours during the day and then you have the long stretch at night.
• Just for record: you don't fit in any hats we have right now. I cut a little beanie yesterday morning so the fabric could fold over and cover your ears. Your cranium is a little on the large side, my boy.

one of my favorite little outfits

Sweet memories:

You smile a lot in the mornings and I hope that I will never forget how much joy it brings to my sleep-deprived self (and Lily and dadda). We even have a short video of you smiling and nearly laughing. Yesterday morning you were laying on the floor and Lily came over to your and held your hand and said 'pray'.


Someday, I know you'll likely be taller than me and have facial hair and have a wife. But until then, I'm going to snuggle you and cuddle with you and even when you're older, I'm going to tell you I love you every day. So, for today, "I love you!"

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon has been on our list of 'places to see' since we've lived in DC. Mark and I went there together in 8th grade but vaguely remember. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous so we packed a picnic and took the short drive to visit the home of our first president, George Washington. 

I don't want to give too much away because I hope that we can take visitors when they are here. But, I'll touch on some of the neat things we thought as we toured the estate.



Coming around the corner as we walked up to see the main house.



 Lily walked around and explored the grounds

(She took a great nap in the afternoon - thumbs up)



Mark and I appreciated all of the gardens and landscape throughout the property.

We dreamt of having gardens and mature trees like the property has. Even in the beginning of November, the gardens around the property were beautiful.

GW was a man of many talents; he designed the gardens and landscaping himself!

Near his gravesite. I loved this.

I didn't know that he died at home until yesterday. He died on

December 14, 1799, just before the turn of the century.

The view of the Potomac and Maryland from the porch

Aren't those chairs fabulous? Something I learned: George and Martha were very hospitable people. They often hosted many guests at a time and for long durations at a time.

How fun would it be to sit here on a crisp fall morning drinking coffee with friends? 

The Gristmill is right down the road and is open March through October (which meant it was closed) so we picnicked near the stream.



We spent about 2.5 hours at Mount Vernon and could have spent more time (sans children) so we're definitely planning to go back.



Happy Hallerween!

Happy Hallerween!

 

We celebrated with a little ladybug and a baby caterpillar. I didn't capture many pictures from the night (Mark was working late and I was by myself) so here are a few that I snapped.

 

Cutie, Lily the ladybug

 

 

Cutie, Ethan the caterpillar

 

(my amazing friend, Jennifer, made this hat Sunday

night after I told her Ethan was just going to wear a onesie for

Halloween. She's pretty amazing!)



 

 

 Trying to get two children in Halloween costumes, fed dinner, and take pictures

 results in a one-shoed girl. Ladybugs don't wear shoes anyways.

We went to our church to trick-or-treat at the trunk-and-treat. It was fun and easy-enough for us because Lily could walk around and it was only a few yards from each car/trunk. I think next year we'll try to go around our neighborhood and take a wagon so both of them can hitch a ride.

 

 



(Not pictured: Lily throwing pumpkins, being distracted by neighbors,

neighbor trying to talk to me about his allergies, and rain cloud forming about us).

I'm laughing as I type this because I get so stressed out about getting a good

picture and now I'm thinking about the circumstances a little more rationally. HA!

..."I just want ONE good picture!"

Let's give the pumpkin a face

 

 

Mark and Lily carved her pumpkin tonight, just in time for Halloween. The weather was perfect to take the mess outside (woohoo!) and Ethan was perfectly content hanging out in his chair so I could snap some pictures. 

 

She didn't want to touch the guts at first, "eww" she kept saying. 

but then she finally dug her hands in..

 ...and came after me

 

 

awe. kisses.

 



Who's who

Okay, maybe it wasn't that hard to tell which baby is Mark and which baby is Ethan.

 

Baby Mark is on the left and our little baby Ethan is on the right.



Ethan is seven weeks now (whaaat?) and he is growing and changing almost daily. The little shirt he is wearing in the picture was Marks when he was a baby and I couldn't resist doing a comparison picture in the same 'pose'. I think they have the same nose and head shape but their eyes are different.  

I'll see if I can dig up a picture of me around 21 months and compare me and Lily next. Obviously it will have to be in black and white, I was rockin' the red locks then, too. ha!

Guess Who?

One of the pictures below is Mark and one is Ethan. Both pictures were taken during their seventh week of life. Who is who?

 

Answer will be posted Wednesday morning so cast your vote!



1:1

Lily has been doing well since her little brother was born.

In general, she is patient with him (and me) with all the 

extra time and attention he gets. At times when she is becoming 

frustrated and I'm challenged by two crying babies (yes, she is still my 'baby'),
I have to remind myself that she went from having ALL of the attention to
less than half. There are many moments throughout the day when Ethan is upset or I'm 

nursing him and she is also wanting to read or build block towers or is 

in the kitchen trying to do big-girl things she shouldn't be doing alone. Ha!
Bittersweet that independence...  

She's seeking my attention in more ways (good and bad) than before and I'm 

finding myself wishing there were 2 of me to balance both kids. 

...and since that can't happen, I am trying to be diligent with my time I
get alone with her. I am definitely working on putting aside my type-A desire/disorder to clean/organize and making use of our one-on-one time when Ethan is
sleeping so she knows I still love and care for her and that we can still do
fun things as just us girls.

I was able to sneak outside with my little lady on Saturday afternoon and at the playground in our neighborhood. We had so much fun chasing each other! I could tell she loved having all of my attention and that I was hands-free. I pray that Mark and I can have one-on-one time with our children when they are young and especially when they are older. I want us to learn to cherish these moments and develop deep relationships with our kids. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive, just something meaningful to show that we love them.

 

 

Here she goes:

"more, more, more"

 

Fall weekend fun

This weekend flew by. Why does Fall always slide right by?.. and then Winter. Ew, I'm not ready for Winter!

Lily is getting over a cold and Mark is coming down with one. My remedy for a cold is to get outside and get some fresh air. Thankfully the weather was nice so we were able to do just that.

Saturday:

We saw a little tent outside Target that was full of pumpkins and a sign that said 'free'.
Um, yes, please. The rules were that you had to be '12 and under' and give them your email to receive updates on the mall construction (the closest mall is under construction until next fall). Sure, we'll receive emails for two free pumpkins!

'Dadda, I want THAT one'

the mall in the background

They even had a little table for decorating where Lily

painted and bedazzled her pumpkin with pink glitter.

 

 

Sunday:

Still coughing and sniffling meant no church for us. No need to contaminate all the other kids!
We headed into DC early for some more fresh air. It was chilly but not a cloud in the sky. There was also a race going on which was really neat to see; around 20,000 runners. I especially liked standing in line to use the restroom with runners in front of and behind me jogging in place. People, you rock!
We only spent a little time out this morning. We parked next to the White House and walked to the WWII Memorial and Lincoln.

"Listen here, I've got lots to say"

Dream big, my girl. 

 

 

Ethan slept a lot through our outings so here are a few of him inside: