Update (from Ethan)

Hi Friends,

I am growing so fast (mommy is kind of upset about it)! At my last doctor visit I weighed 12.2 lbs. and measured 24 1/4 inches. The doctor said that I was "impressive"...i'll take that as a compliment! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of me for sleeping longer during the night.

Some of the things I like to do are chew on my hands, take baths, go for walks and go to exercise class with mommy (baby yoga is my favorite). I have some new friends that I met at class - Mikey, Eva and Hunter. They are pretty cool. For Halloween we are going to get dressed up and get together. I'm going to be a giraffe! Speaking of giraffe, mom gave me a new toy today...a giraffe named Sophie...I love to chew on her too!

Here are some pictures mommy took of me...

Me chewing on my hands

Here I am at yoga!

Me and Mikey...he likes to chew on his hands too.

Guess what?!??! Mommy left me alone with Daddy for an overnight last weekend! Daddy took good care of me and we had lots of fun. We took Max for a walk, went to Dunkin Donuts and watched lots of football. Mommy said she missed me SOOOOO much...I guess that's why she didn't put me down for a long time when she got home. I got a ton of hugs and kisses.

Yesterday, we went to New Hope, Pennsylvania. Here is a picture of my family...

Well, that's about it for now. I will get mommy to post some pictures of me in my costume. I hope your Halloween is lots of fun!

Hugs and Kisses,

Ethan

Look Who's Two Months Old!

We can't believe our little guy is already two months old. Where has the time gone?

Ethan is a true joy to wake up to each morning...yes, I said morning. For the last few nights (KNOCK ON WOOD), Ethan has been sleeping for 7, 8 and even 9 hour stretches! I know this probably won't last but I have been getting some glorious nights of real sleep. A swaddle has made all the difference. When we first brought Ethan home from the hospital, we attempted the swaddle but we thought he hated it...would scream each time we put him in. But one of the new moms I have met recently suggested I try it again and it worked! And he is such a cutie in it...looks like a pea in a pod. Anyway, getting back to waking up...E is all smiles in the a.m.! We love his big gummy smiles...they just melt us.

Click on this link to view a video i took with the iPhone (not great quality). And please pardon my baby voice : )

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKe75pfO3JA

Hmmmm...what else?

Ethan enjoys lying on his back while kicking his chunky little legs in the air. He loves being sung to and listening to his iTunes playlist. He is also visually tracking mom and dad a lot more. The little man is a book fan - he really attends to the books when we read to him. (man I sound like a teacher). Ethan is a bit less resistant to "tummy time". The doctor encouraged us to do some so that Ethan does not get a flat noggin. Oh, and another activity that E is starting to like a lot more is bath time. He really enjoys it now...splashing, kicking and peeing (yep) in the warm water! I think grins are starting to become giggles these days. We are not getting any hearty laughs just yet, but definitely noticing some smiles paired with happy noises! Ethan loves being out and about around town and has met lots of new friends (more on that later). We are slowly but surely getting to know all of the good spots for him to eat and be changed!

Here are some recent pictures...

Tummy Time in the morning.

Say cheese!

Enjoying some fun in the sun...well, shade at Pier A in Hoboken

Katie comes to Hoboken to meet Ethan

Tubby Time in the evening.

It honestly keeps getting better and better.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been awhile since i've updated the blog because we have been super busy!

I wanted to do an entire post on the great "Mama and Papa" (Ty's parents) visit; however, to my GREAT DISMAY, we have misplaced the many, many pictures we took while they were here...lost in cyberspace...hopefully Mr. Mac Support can help us to retrieve them. Tyler and I are both sick that the pictures are missing. If we can get them back, I will certainly post them.

Mama and Papa came to visit NJ on September 8th. They met their newest grandchild at the airport and it was certainly love at first sight. They came laden with gifts for Ethan from his Canadian family members and friends. We can't express our gratitude enough for the beautiful things we received for him. People are truly so thoughtful and generous. Here are some pictures of the gorgeous toys that Papa made for Ethan. We will treasure these forever!

Pull toy

Ride-on toy

There was a lot of bonding time over the weeks Marv and Claire were here. Ethan enjoyed many walks around Hoboken with Mama and Papa. We visited Peddler's Village in Pennsylvania one weekend and the Amish country in Lancaster county PA another weekend. During Marv and Claire's stay, we also had Ethan's "hello party" for our family to meet him. It was a great time and I can't thank my parents enough for hosting such a wonderful gathering (lost these pics too - keep your fingers crossed we can get them back). As always, Marv and Claire made many home improvements to the condo...racks on the inside of the pantry doors, pull-out shelves in cabinets, shelves in closets and a few things hung here and there. Claire cooked many great dinners, scrubbed the floors, cleaned out the fridge and organized my disorganized cabinets. Thank you, thank you, thank you Marv and Claire!

Oh and how could I almost forget...Ty and I had a date night *thank you Michele, Keith, Devin and Maria for this gift*. We got dressed up and went to 340 Grill in Hoboken. What a great meal...one of the best we've had in a while! The martini menu alone could have kept me happy. Claire and Marv were surpised to see us home fairly early. We confessed to talking about Ethan and looking at his pictures and videos on our phones all night. ; )

I wish I could just freeze time for a bit. Each day that passes is a day closer to me going back to work....ugh, I can't even think about it. People keep telling me "Oh, you'll be ready to go back by then". I have been home for almost 2.5 months and I only have 2.5 months left. I am still waiting for the urge to go back to work to hit me and honestly, I don't think it will. But, I am just going to try to stop counting down my days and just enjoy each day I have with my little man.