Christmas at the Wollenweber's house...

Ethan is now overflowing with toys! He loves his new blue recliner and walker from Grandma & Grandpa Wollenweber. He had so many presents that they wouldn't even fit in the car. More pics to come, but here is Ethan relaxing in the new recliner, laying on the blanket playing with his cousin, and hanging out in the new walker (he loved chewing on that yellow flower).

Celebrating Christmas at Home...

Our first Christmas as a family was amazing! We started on little sleep and Ethan doesn't nap so well away from home, so I was a bit nervous about how his mood would turn out. He did great all day long. It was just one of those times when you look back on your life and realize how blessed you are. I have an amazing, supportive husband who has turned into a wonderful Dad and now an adorable son that is growing up before our eyes. I couldn't ask for more!

We spent Christmas morning at home opening presents and then went to spend the day with Grandma & Grandpa Wollenweber and all of Ethan's cousins. Here are some pics from our time at home in his xmas PJs. Cuddling with Mocha, laying in the middle of his presents, and enjoying some wrapping paper!

Christmas 2011

Here are a few of our Christmas photos for this year. I know everyone thinks their kids are cute, but I just can't get over how much I love this adorable little guy! He won't understand too much of what goes on this year for Christmas, but he does love to look at the lights on the tree. Its crazy that this year has went by so fast, but I can't wait to see what awesome things are in store for 2012!

Thanks to my friend Amy Reeds for the great photos! :)

Not a fan of Butternut Squash!

I've been busy making baby food purees - sweet potato, butternut squash, acorn squash, and pears. It was actually an easy process and we have over 100 ounces (about 50 servings) in the freezer. He has only had cereal so far, so tonight we tried butternut squash. I mixed some with the rice cereal and he loved it, but as you can tell by the funny faces below, he didn't so much care for the squash!

Aunt Jackie Loves Me...

Aunt Jackie got us this shirt before Ethan was born. It was 3-6 month size, so he's now able to wear it. Here he is showing off the double handed thumb suck while sporting his shirt!

Marshmallow arms...

I think baby arm wrinkles are adorable and Ethan has lots of them. We like to affectionately call them "marshmallow arms". He is getting really good at pushing himself up on his arms (here is a video) and he'll occasionally attempt to sit-up. He is way more interested in standing, but you can see how he props himself up on his arms. It only lasts a few seconds before he falls forward, but he is getting stronger every day (sorry for the blurry photo - he moves too fast!). Ignore the 5lbs he gained in the 2nd photo, these are both from today, so I think it's just bad photography. I'll blame that one on Pat... :)

More attempts with cereal...

Well, we've tried a few more times with cereal - sometimes he loves it and can't get enough, other times he seems confused and frustrated. He likes the taste, but I think he gets mad that his belly doesn't get full fast enough. We're trying to go slow and give him some time to adjust. Once he gets the hang of cereal, we'll move on to other Stage 1 foods such as sweet potato, squash, green beans, apple, banana, avocado, and pear. I can't wait to start baking/steaming and pureeing my own food! Here is a video of Ethan enjoying some cereal (this was one of those confusing times): Eating Cereal - YouTube Video

5 Months Old...

Ethan turned 5 months old on November 30th - time is flying by! In the first few months, I remember thinking what a "big kid" he'd be by 6 months. Now he's almost there and he still feels like a baby. I'm enjoying these days more and more, because there is more interaction with us and you can tell he understands certain things in his surroundings. He knows that home means comfort and safety; he is definitely calmer in his own environment. He loves watching the dogs - they are pure entertainment. We can play "peek a boo' and other games and he actually laughs. It's hard to catch photos where he isn't grabbing his feet, but I think it's so cute (especially when he tries to put them in his month!). He sees something and reaches for it now, where before his arms didn't seem coordinated enough to actually grab it. The smiles get bigger and more frequent each day... the fun is just beginning!!

First Attempt with Cereal...

Well, I feel like our first attempt at solids was a fail! I've been so excited to give him some cereal, but the Dr. waited us to wait until we started supplementing with formula and he didn't seem satisfied with milk. He has been acting a lot hungrier than normal (read: cranky), so we decided it was time.

This is another one of those "unknown" areas for me, so I'm not sure we had the consistency right and I forgot to warm the cereal. At first, he seemed interested and liked the taste, almost like he couldn't get enough. Then it all came running out of his mouth, but I think we had it too runny. A few spoonful attempts later and he started fussing. He wanted OUT of the chair and was done. He quickly became more interested in the spoon than actual eating. Hmm... so not exactly as I had imagined, but we'll probably try again one morning when he is in a better mood. Here are some pics:

"Here, let me help!"

"This is different and even kinda fun!"

"I'll just bite on the spoon. Mom, give me my bottle back."

Grabbing his feet...

Ethan has been grabbing at his feet for awhile now, but he is becoming really good at holding on and is almost able to bring them to his mouth. Between this, rolling, and twisting, diaper changing is becoming an adventure!

He still likes to put everything into his mouth, but sometimes he licks it (which is a new thing), instead of trying to bite. It's really funny to see him stick out his tongue and lick a blanket, your shirt, your fingers, etc. Here he is playing with his tongue...

Losing his hair...

Our little one is losing his hair! He has more in the back, but it's pretty bare up top now. It almost lightened up from black to light brown. I can't believe how different he looks now compared with the day he was born. I am definitely loving the chubby arms and chins!

Dad the "Lounge Chair"...

Ethan decided to use Dad as a lounge chair. It's so cute to see Ethan light up whenever Pat is near... I love watching the two of them together!

Cousins...

Ethan and his cousin, David Jr., hung out for the first time on Thanksgiving. He is a few months older than Ethan and can sit up. Neither one of them see other babies very often, so they just kept staring at each other. I love seeing babies a few months older than Ethan, so I know what to expect and it's fun to picture him at that age.

Sweet sleeping baby...

I love watching Ethan sleep and it's so hard not to take pictures (which usually wake him up). It seems like we've finally got him on a good nap and sleep schedule. He now sleeps great in his crib, which has always been a challenge at naptime. He sleeps through the night about 80% of the time and from what I hear, thats pretty good for this age. He'll be 5 months old in just a few days!

He had a great 1st Thanksgiving and was hardly fussy at all (something I am VERY thankful for!). I've been doing lots of Christmas shopping and it's been fun planning out his Christmas presents.

Rolling again!

Ethan rolled for the first time over a month ago, but since then he has only done it a handful of times. We got these foam mats today, thinking it would help him grip better and it must make a difference, because he immediately rolled over again! Here he is hanging out on the couch, mid-roll, and chewing on his hands afterwards. Love this little guy! :)

Dressed in his Sunday best...

We were late for church on Sunday, because we couldn't stop taking pictures of our adorable baby! I got the chance to iron his first button-down shirt and we attempted to take some photos. He is quickly bored sitting still, but loves to stand and jump. You can see the joy on his face!

Ethan with Mocha & Maverick...

Ethan already has 2 buddies that love hanging out with him!

Funny face...

I just love this funny face that Ethan makes! He was probably letting out lots of loud "talks" or shrieks when I snapped this picture. Every time I start taking pictures, he seems to get louder and squirmier!

Monster Pajamas...

Ethan hanging out in his warm and cuddly fleece monster PJs. Here he is sitting in the glider and doing tummy time on a blanket (the easiest place to take pictures these days!).

Holding the bottle...

Ethan is always grabbing for the bottle, but normally pushes too hard on one side and knocks it out. He held on to it long enough for me to snap this picture.

Enjoying tummy time...

Ethan is now starting to enjoy tummy time and loves seeing things from a new angle. The dogs like to hover around while we play on the floor, so he usually gets a good view of them chewing on a bone nearby. Toys are also starting to really catch his attention, so we can even have a few minutes of "play" time. Here he is leaning on a blanket, taking a little break from using his muscles...

4 Months - Getting big fast....

Today has been one of those days when I realized how much my little baby has grown up. He seems so chubby and solid now, compared to a few weeks and months ago. I rocked him 20 minutes more than normal tonight, because I just didn't want to put him in the crib. I'm realizing how important it is to treasure every moment... it is going SO FAST. I miss his 1 month, 2 month, and 3 month stages already, but I'm so excited for him to grow up. I can't wait until he can sit-up on his own, eat baby food, crawl, talk, etc. I feel so blessed that we have this adorable little angel and I thank God for all he has given us.

Happy Halloween!

Ethan was a bit moody for his 1st Halloween! I tried putting on his costume (a bumblebee) a few days before and he only lasted long enough for me to snap a some wiggly pictures. We didn't put it on him to hand out candy, because he was already pretty cranky. A few days earlier, he showed his Halloween spirit with this adorable "Bat Club" outfit.