Farm Animals, Acadia, and New Puppies!

Ethan meets the sheep at Sweetser Farm.











Meeting little Gunner for the first time.
































A few shots from Acadia National Park- Jordon Pond.













Ethan's first taste of popovers from Jordon Pondhouse... more please!









Checking out the pumpkins at Bishop Hill in CT.
























It's been a few weeks since I was able to get on and write. We've been busy, busy with visitors, a last minute trip to CT, and a few days away at Acadia National Park. Ethan has been a trooper through all of our activity- in fact, I really think he enjoys seeing all of the new people and places.

We just got back from spending three wonderful days in Bar Harbor/Acadia for Pete's birthday. The weather was a little chilly but Ethan loved hiking in Acadia, strolling around Bar Harbor, and taking in the sights. Pete and I marveled (again) at what a big kid Ethan is becoming. He ate off of the 'kids menu' twice while we were away, even eating the rice and beans that came with his quesadilla and drinking out of a kid's cup with a straw. It was so strange for us to see our little guy sitting with us, and eating off of the menu rather than having us spoon feed him baby food from jars!

Pete and I have been visiting Acadia every year since we moved to Maine, and one of the highlights of our trip is to hike around Jordon Pond, and then eat at the Jordon Pond House and enjoy their famous popovers. We decided that the trip would not be complete if we didn't introduce Ethan to our tradition- boy did he love those popovers! He couldn't get enough! Pete and I kept saying that we knew we loved Ethan because we were willing to share our popovers with him!

Once we were back home, we were excited to go meet the newest addition to our family. Uncle Ken and Auntie Melissa got a new puppy named Gunner. Ethan had a fun time crawling around in the yard with the new pup. I think that he was a little surprised to discover that he was real!!

After spending time with Gunner, we headed to Sweetser Farm. Uncle Bob and Auntie Margo volunteer their time at a local farm -- feeding the animals, mucking the stalls, and doing other farm chores, so it's a great opportunity for Ethan to get up close and personal with all of the farm animals that we read about in our books. He couldn't stop smiling as we met the geese, chickens, ducks, sheep, goats, and horses. He loved Charlie the horse so much, that he actually tried to give him a hug! I'm sure as Ethan gets older we'll be spending a lot more time at the farm and Uncle Bob may even put him to work!

Ethan continues to amaze us with what he knows and what he is able to do. The other day we were playing in his room, and he picked up one of his books, put it on his little chair, and then proceeded to climb into the chair on his own, open the book, and read it!! I was blown away! He does this every time we are in his room now- it is adorable!

While we were hiking, Pete asked Ethan if he wanted his juice, and clear as anything, Ethan looked at him and said, "Yes." Pete and I looked at each other, wondering if we'd really just heard what we thought we'd heard!

Ethan is still taking tentative steps every now and again, but nothing reliably yet. I've noticed that if there are things to "cruise" along and hang on to, he'll spend more time upright rather than crawling. I'm not sure when he decide that he's ready to be a full time walker, but it seems like it could be any day now.

Ethan has perfected the "point"! He'll point out what he wants. He'll point out things he finds interesting in his environment. He'll point out who he wants to pick him up. He has definitely learned that pointing has power! I much prefer the point to the 'grunting whine' that he used to make to get his point across. We are working to match up words to whatever it is that he is pointing at just so he doesn't get too used to pointing without eventually having to name what it is he wants. I'm not too worried about Ethan not using his words though- he talks all day long!

Finally, my most favorite thing that Ethan has been doing lately is really snuggling. He has always been a snuggly kid, but lately he has been seeking us out when he needs comfort. The other day he was playing and then suddenly crawled over to me, climbed right into my lap, and laid his head on my chest to cuddle- melted my heart! I'm pretty sure that they don't get much cuter than my little guy!!

First Steps!

Ethan loves the fridge and will pick out all of the food he knows belongs to him!


















A few shots from our day in Ogunquit with Uncle Adam


Over the weekend, Uncle Adam came for a visit. We hadn't seen him in about 6 months, as he was in school in Italy. The last time Adam had seen Ethan, he was still pretty immobile- boy has a lot changed! We had a nice weekend playing, sightseeing, and most importantly, eating! (Adam was studying Italian cooking)

Our biggest news from the week, is that Ethan took his first steps! I think he surprised himself a bit. We were playing with his toys, when suddenly he stood up, looked at me, and took three steps over to the couch. That was last Sunday and he hasn't taken any more steps on his own since then, but it's still official- he definitely took a few unaided steps! I think it's only a matter of weeks before he's getting around on his own.

Ethan has added "bubble" to his list of words. When we blow bubbles for him, he says, "Bub, bub." He continues to say mama, dada, and pup. He says other things that sound like words to us, but we don't think he has attached meaning to them yet- he certainly is a chatter box though- so much in fact that it draws comments from other moms!

My newest attempt to get Ethan to sleep more soundly at night has been limiting him to one nap per day. This has been kind of fun for us as it opens up the whole morning for us to attend activities that are offered in the community. We went to story time here in Freeport on Tuesday morning. Ethan was doing wonderfully listening to the books as they were read, participating in the rhymes and songs, and watching the other babies- until they brought out the snacks!! Each child got one graham cracker. Of course, Ethan was finished with his cracker before the basket had even gotten around the room! For the next 10 minutes, all Ethan could focus on was the fact that the other children had cookies and he did not! He talked all about it, pointing to the crackers in his neighbors' hands for the rest of story time!

We also attended a weekly playgroup at the Community Center. There were a lot of the same babies at story time, and the playgroup so I think this will be a great way for Ethan to connect to some other local kids. As long as I keep Ethan well fed, I think that he will really enjoy making new friends!

Happy Birthday Marshall!

Uncle Ken and Ethan

One of Ethan's favorite spots is on Daddy's shoulders

Jack and Ethan take the convertible for a spin

Off into the sunset

Grandpa and I discussing the ins and outs of Fort Williams

Ethan, Uncle Ken and I at Fort Williams

Ethan and his fashion diva cousin Madeline

Over the weekend we spent lots of time with family. We spent Saturday at Fort Williams, having lunch, playing games, and taking in the views. Ethan loves being around his cousins and just sort of watches them in awe. He was content to spend the day sitting on a blanket, rolling his cars around, and hitching a ride on my back to look at the lighthouse, fort, and ocean views.

Sunday we celebrated cousin Marshall's 7th birthday. There were lots of kids there, playing with trucks, having tea parties, and running around. Ethan got right into the mix, and had a blast playing. He would crawl right up to the kids and "talk" to them about whatever toy they had at the moment. The younger ones didn't quite know what to make of Ethan's language, and would sort of blankly stare at him, but Ethan was oblivious, and was certain that he had passed on some key information!

We suspect that Ethan is getting closer and closer to walking. This week he is easily balancing himself on a wooden push toy we have and will walk across the living room and kitchen. He does it with no effort! At times when he has pulled himself up on a chair or couch, he'll let go and can stand for a few seconds. He has no real interest in holding our hands and taking steps. He'll take a few steps, but quickly realizes he can move much more quickly if he drops down and crawls. We are certainly in no rush, but all the signs point to Ethan walking in the next few weeks!

Much to my dismay, this week Ethan has been sleeping horribly at night! Once I think that we have the sleep thing down, Ethan changes! He has been taking really long naps during the day, so I'm wondering if he's so well rested, that he can't stay asleep at night. We are trying to tweak this now and wake him up if his afternoon nap goes too long. I hate waking him up when he is sleeping so peacefully, but I hate staying up all night with him much more! We'll keep chugging along and trying to figure this out! I know that eventually he'll sleep... right?!

Thanks for reading along and keeping up with our adventures! Till next week!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

We've had a fun-filled week! Friday night, the Childrens' Museum in Portland had $1 admission, so we headed down to check it out. Ethan was beside himself when we let him loose in the toddler room. His face turned bright red, as he looked around at all of the cool things to play with and all of the kids that were the same size as him. We had a wonderful time rolling around on the soft floor, playing with the beach balls, and what we think was Ethan favorite exhibit at the museum, checking out the Oakhurst cow- he hugged the life size plastic cow as though it were his long lost friend, and got the biggest smile on his face!

We spent Sunday with Bob, Margo, and Dylan. We picked apples at an orchard up the road from them. Ethan was very proud that he could hold and eat an apple all by himself. Just a year ago, we visited the same orchard, and Ethan was tiny- about a month old. Amazing how much can change in a year! We rode on a wagon pulled by horses at the orchard as well. Ethan didn't take his eyes off of those horses and after the ride was over, we got to visit the horses and pet their huge snouts. Ethan was unsure at first, but eventually decided that it was okay and pet the horses a few times. I think we may have a budding farmer on our hands!

On Labor Day Monday, we packed up and took a little road trip down to Ogunquit beach. We ended up having such a wonderful time there, and Pete and I kept remarking on how we felt like we had stepped into a vacation. The weather was gorgeous, and Ethan had a fantastic time splashing in the water, playing in the sand, taking in the views during the ocean walk that we did, and of course, eating ice cream! It was a great day- I guess one of the last true days of summer!

We are having more and more fun with Ethan as he is able to do and understand more. He is a little ham to the fullest! He adores Barley, and has now realized that the best way to keep Barley close, is to share his food with him. Somehow, Ethan knows that Barley loves cheese. Whenever I give Ethan cheese, he inevitably offers it to the dog. Very cute! This week, they are beginning to play together a bit more. Barley will drop the ball for Ethan and Ethan will toss it for him. Eventually, they will become the best of friends!

Ethan is everywhere and into everything! He loves opening cabinets and pulling out their contents, he loves climbing the stairs and boy is he getting good at it. If the gate isn't up, he'll crawl over to the stairs, climb up a stair or two, and then wait for someone to discover him. Once he sees that you see him, he tries to climb up those stairs as quickly as he can!

These days, Ethan is loving bath time. He'll go into the bathroom even when it's not bath time and try to climb into the tub! When we are having our nightly bath, Ethan happily sits and plays with his fish, boat, and other toys until his little fingers and toes are prunes. I have to admit, bath time is one of my favorite times too. As I sit and watch Ethan playing, I realize what a big kid he is!

We are sad to see summer coming to an end, but know that fall brings all sorts of new and fun activities! We are looking forward to experiencing fall through our little guy's eyes! We are discovering that everything is more fun with a baby- and it's a great excuse to do all of the fun "kid stuff!"

Good time with Friends!

Ethan takes the driver's seat to break for lunch on our journey from Boston

Ethan and Sam

Sam and Ethan

Playing Peek- A-Boo at the park

Next they are going to look under the hood!

Ethan's love of cars and trucks continues

Bath time

Cooling off at Range Pond

Sand!

What a week! We spent some great time in Boston visiting Andrea, Joel, Sam, and Otis. We had so much fun playing with the babies (and dogs). Ethan and Sam are interacting more and more- each time we visit, they seem to notice each other a little bit more. It is so much fun watching them play, and noticing the likenesses and differences in their personalities. Andrea and I thought we'd need to have some plans for the Monday that we spent with the dogs and babies while Joel and Pete were at work, but we realized quickly that the boys were happy to just play with each other and all of the toys at the house. Between naps and playtime the day had flown by before we knew it! We did have time to head to a playground designed with toddlers in mind. Ethan loved crawling around, playing with the various play structures and toys there. The boys were filthy by the time we left- a definite sign of a good time! I love the fact that Ethan already has a good friend to grow up with!

We returned to Maine, only to discover that the high temperatures were not just reserved for the Boston area. It has been HOT here this week. Ethan and I have been spending a lot of time at beaches and ponds this week. As I was getting our lunch packed one day, it struck me that my baby boy is quickly turning into a little boy! I was deciding what to make us for lunch- gone are the days of pureed baby food- I packed a peanut butter sandwich for each of us, a yogurt to split, and some grapes. Either I'm eating more like a baby, or he is turning into a real kid!

My favorite new addition to Ethan's repertoire of cute things that he does, is his ability to have a conversation in his own little language. It is adorable! He points out things around him and then has this long discussion about it. He uses all sorts of inflection and changes his tone and facial expression. Every time I try to get it on video, he stops talking, but at some point, I'll catch him and post it- it's too darn cute!!

First Birthday Celebrations!

Testing out the new tricycle from Grandma and Grandpa F- Ethan smiled the entire 2 miles that we walked!

Who is this huge kid??!!

Auntie Margo painted a special chair just for Ethan

Balloons!!

I guess he liked the cake...

He was thrilled to have everyone singing to him

Caterpillar cake made by cousin Dylan and Auntie Margo- thank you!!!

Playing with Uncle Ken

Family pic

More cake!

Farm cakes made by Grandma Fowler- delicious and adorable!

Party Animal!

Boy oh boy! We sure did celebrate Ethan's first birthday! He was lucky enough to have two parties- one in Connecticut hosted by Grandma and Grandpa Y. and one at home in Maine. We were so happy to have the chance to spend time with friends and family and are so thankful that we had so many great people around to help us mark this big event!

One seems to be such a fun age! Everyday Ethan does something different. Auntie Sarah was visiting this week, and she clapped her hands together. Ethan looked down at each of his own hands and put them together. For the remainder of the week, he would get a big smile on his face, look right at Sarah and clap, waiting for the praise that was sure to follow!

Ethan understands so much more too. If I tell him to get his pacifier from the cup holder in the car seat, he'll look down and grab it. If I tell him to "get Daddy" he'll crawl over to him and "attack." While we are reading, he'll turn the page when I ask him to. Whenever we say hello, goodbye, or night night, he waves. Ethan points at everything around him and we practice naming what we see. We are amazed at what he comprehends and how much he is soaking up. We are just having the most fun with this little guy!

We went for our 12 month check-up yesterday. As much as I hate the shots (I think I am more pained by them than Ethan is!) I love finding out how much Ethan has grown. His stats are as follows: he weighs 23.6 lbs. which puts him between the 50-75%, his height is 30 1/2 inches, 75%, and his head size is 18 inches, 25-50%. Dr. Power says that he looks great and that we can go ahead and try eggs again and peanut butter! We tried peanut butter banana this morning- definitely our kid- he LOVED it!

This week we did a lot of looking back and reminiscing about the past year. We watched movies of Ethan as a tiny guy, and marveled at how quickly he has changed and grown to be the little character that he is. We are so lucky that we get to spend each and everyday with Ethan, making us laugh, filling us with joy, and overwhelming us with love.

Lake House!

New beach toys

Ethan and Uncle Bob are buddies


One of my favorites...

Grandma and Grandpa at the lake


My Little Sailor

This past week was a fun one! Every year Ken and Melissa rent a house on Sebago Lake. In fact, just last year, we were swimming in the lake and riding on the boat the week before Ethan arrived! We spent lots of good quality time hanging out family, swimming, tubing off the boat, and digging in the sand. Ethan's cousins Marshall, Maddie, and Jack took every opportunity to interact and play with Ethan, and Ethan loved observing his big cousins. A great time was had by all!

We continue working on getting Ethan to sleep in his crib. He is doing pretty well, especially with naps. I'm sure being so exhausted from all of the activity at the lake helped, but he has been taking a two hour nap in the morning. Afternoon naps this week have either been on the boat or in the car, so once we are home more often with a regular schedule, we'll be working on this too. Nighttime has been better also. Ethan sleeps in the crib until 2 or 3 am and then comes into the bed. The difference this week is that he has been going right back to sleep once in bed- a great improvement from last week!

Ethan's little personality is developing daily. He'll do whatever it takes to get a laugh from us. He'll do goofy things like shake his head around, or make silly sounds. He has perfected the wave. And a few days ago while he was eating hummus with Aunty Margo she offered him a chip and he shook his head and said, "N-" We haven't seen or heard this since, but he was definitely getting his point across that he didn't want what she was offering. He loves anything with wheels including the vacuum cleaner. He thinks this is another toy just for him that I drag around the house so he can play. He follows the canister all around the house, turning it on and off while I clean. Needless to say, vacuuming takes a little bit longer these days.

Even though it's harder to get things done, we wouldn't have it any other way. We love our little guy to pieces- every day he is doing something new to amuse or make us adore him even more (if that's at all possible!)