BACKGROUND

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This is a short post for good reason...see below.

I'll start with the "Good".
Ethan's two bottom teeth have come in and he didn't seem to experience much teething pain.
Ethan really enjoyed his first ride on a swing.
He is beginning to sit up on his own like a "big boy".
Mommy passed her BCBA exam! Wooohooo!

The "Bad"
The stomach virus has hit the Soroka's HARD- well, two of us...Ethan and mommy. Thank goodness Tyler has steered clear of this beast so far.
We had to spend our whole week of February vacation sick at home.
We couldn't go to ice skating night with Dylan and Logan. Logan is also not feeling well. (Once we all feel better, we will go skating, boys)

The "Ugly"
Refer to the stomach virus reference above. Just use your imagination.
Tip: do not put a baby covered in poop in a tub...it floats. I don't mean to be so graphic, but this has been our week. :-(

Hope you are staying healthy during these last few weeks of winter (fingers crossed). I need spring to spring...FAST!


Monday, February 14, 2011

Just a Quick Update

SEE?!? I'm getting better at updating! Now it's only a couple of weeks in between posts, instead of months.

Ethan visited the doctor last week and our little chunk weighed in at 17lbs, 13oz. He measured 25.75 inches. Eating lots of veggies now - sweet potato, carrots, peas, green beans, mixed veggies and we plan to start fruit soon...I know he will LOVE that! We have been making the baby food in the Beaba BabyCook steamer/puree machine. I really like it, although you could probably just do it in the blender (let's not tell Tyler, okay?) Ethan is sporting two little tooth buds (bottom front) and on Saturday he turned 6 months old! I can't believe how fast it's gone. We continue to be amazed at how he changes - literally daily. Even tonight when he got his Valentine's Day presents, he showed us his new temper. He was sucking on a nesting cups and dropped it. Well, he was NOT too happy about that, throwing his body back and screaming. Of course, I looked at the positive side, telling Tyler "he's learning", but I know we will see more of where that came from.

Sorry...I uploaded the pictures a bit small, but if you want to see them larger just click on them.

At the 6 month mark!


I think he looks like a precious moments figurine here...(and I should have retouched his nose area a bit...we are dealing with another bout of the sniffles over here)

Playing with my new toys at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Happy Valentine's Day
xoxo from Ethan!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Phew!

Okay...this time I have a good excuse. I really do.

I can finally take a breather - well for the next month at least - until I find out the results. Pregnancy test?...NO!!!!!! (and I wouldn't have to wait a month). Medical testing? NO, thank God. I finally took the board exam I have been procrastinating taking for years. It's the exam to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Sounds dorky, right? Well it is...and I have been a major dork for the last month with my nose in this thing right here...

...and I hope I will never have to look at it again! Well, that's not true - I will have to reference it often. But you know what I mean. It is what seems like 700 pages of redundant terms and definitions. Even Tyler, who helped me study :) - said that every term sounded the exact same way. He quizzed me nightly and the apartment was littered with flash cards! I took the exam last Saturday and I will get the results by March 15th. I honestly don't know how I did. PLEASE DON'T ASK ME HOW I DID. Suppose your guess is correct if I am walking around with a long face mid March.

Either way, until then I am happy to be rid of thinking about the exam and studying! I get to spend more QT with the little guy and annoy him with my camera. I am trying to master some basic photography skills. I did take a class last summer; however, it's like a language...if you don't use it, you lose it. I love it though...I frustrate myself with a task and then figure it out. I am hoping to take more classes soon.

Ethan is growing like a weed. We have his 6 month check up this coming week - I will update you on the weight then. But he has really filled out with those chubby cheeks and legs. He has started eating some foods: rice cereal, multigrain cereal, peas and green beans. And he loves them all so far! Tomorrow, he will try homemade sweet potato for the first time. Our Beaba Babycook just arrived by mail. It's a baby food cooker that steams food and purees it in the same machine.

Green Pea Night at the Sorokas

My new highchair. Do you think he'll be blonde?!?


The little guy is a rolling machine. This evening I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Ty was on the computer in the guest room. I walked into the living room to find that Ethan had rolled himself halfway under our media console! He is fast! Just another reminder for us that he is growing and changing day by day.

Playing with daddy's toy that he played with when he was little like me!


He is so excited to explore the world around him. Today, mommy and Ethan had a lunch date at Whole Foods and then we did our shopping. I put him in the carrier, facing outward. He was LOVING it. He was so excited that he was literally bouncing up and down in the carrier. He wanted to grab for everything...even people walking by. I snapped this pic with my cell phone, hence the wonderful composition!

We put EVERYTHING in our mouth these days...even nebulizer cords.

Oh and he LOVES Max! Max is slowly but surely getting used to him but does not possess the same affection that E has for him.

Ethan and Auntie Meggie

"Is it okay if I gnaw on your fingers a bit, auntie?"

Ethan continues to do well at daycare. They are really good to him there which makes it easy to drop him off in the morning. He is usually greeted by a hug and a kiss from one of his teachers. And they are quick to tell us what a good baby he is. We are thankful that we have been blessed with such an easy-going baby...we joke that the next one will be a holy terror!

Ty is busy being a daddy. He loves coming home to Ethan (and me, I think)! It was so cute tonight when Tyler came in Ethan put his arms out to him. Melt.

I have settled in nicely at my job. I am working Monday through Wednesday, 9-5. We all know how I was completely dreading returning to work, but the transition has been good. I have started a new position as the supervisor of the Behavioral Center that is affiliated with the school I worked at. My days are busy and go so fast that before I know it I am holding the little monkey again. I am lucky to be home with him on Thursdays and Fridays...I so look forward to those mornings when we can cuddle (although that doesn't last much beyond 6am...haha)! And days like today (our Whole Foods date) are so special. There are so many times I find myself thinking 'Noelle, remember this moment' because I know it won't last forever...