Chubby Cheeks at 10 Weeks!

So this last Saturday Ethan turned 10 weeks :) The Wednesday before he had a scheduled check up and Ethan was found to be weighing in at 12 pounds 2 ounces and is 23 1/2 inches long! Yowza! He is getting some super cute cheeks on him too and his eyes seems to be changing color. His eyes have been a deep gray blue since he was born but recently are starting to turn a light brown in the centers of his eyes. If you do a punnet square on what his possibilities are he has a 50% chance of having brown eyes and 50% chance of having blue or a blue green combo. We shall see!

On the 18th Andrew and I got to travel to Albuquerque for a Sam Bush Band concert. This was my Christmas gift to Andrew and boy did we have a great time! This was the first time that we had seen this new-grass band live and they are all very talented musicians. This was also the first time that we had left Ethan alone over night. My Mom stayed with Ethan and it sounded like they had a great time together. Although it was kinda sad to be away from Ethan for so long and Andrew and I talked about Ethan frequently while we were gone, we weren't worried and really enjoyed the alone time together.

Every year since we were engaged, Andrew and I started celebrating the length of time we have been together as a couple. We started dating January 25, 2004 and the tradition is that whenever January 25 rolls around we go out to eat at the Mall's Food Court and then take pictures in the photo booth. We have four sets of pictures now and Ethan got to join in on the fun this year. See below for how these pics turned out.

Ethan was given/bought a lot of fun "toys" after he was born, but didn't really like most of them up until recently. He no longer throws up every time we place him in the swing, but seems to enjoy it and will often fall asleep in it. He is staying in his bouncer for longer periods of time, which gives us both the opportunity to get ready in the mornings or clean and have him near by. He is also now falling asleep in his baby carrier when I place him in it. He will make this grunting noise for a while after I initially place him in it, but then relaxes and seems to not mind it.

I have been going nuts over all the great sales that have been going on lately and have bought some real cute cloths for the kiddo to wear down the road. He now has a winter jacket, a shirt/vest/tie ensemble, swim trunks and super cute cargo pants that have all been sized to fit him through out this year. Hey, I grew up hearing my Dad always say, "Be prepared, it's the motto of the boy scouts!" I can't help it:)

Great Grandma Shirleigh's Birthday-
it took my Mom and Grandma a couple tries to blow out THE candle, haha

Ethan meeting his Great Grandma Rosa and Great Grandpa Ramon for the first time- my Dad was treating us to dinner at Furr's, yum!

Sam Bush Concert

We do everything we can to make Ethan smile on a regular basis and can get pretty goofy.

We love this kid!

Our annual Mall Photo Booth picture.

Happy New Year!

We are ringing in the new year as a family of three and thank the Lord for getting us through the first few weeks of this transition! Ethan is not AS fussy these days, which has really given us the opportunity to just enjoy him rather than always trying to find ways to sooth his crying. We are so grateful for this change in his attitude.
Ethan is now 7 weeks old and counting! He is growing up daily and we are doing our best to soak up every minute that we have with him as well as cherish him at every stage of his life. We measured him last week and found that he is now 24 inches long (he was born 19 inches) and although we don't have an official weigh in, he has bulked up all over and is heavier to carry:) His cries have become more distinct based on what he needs. For example he has such a sad/pitiful little wail when he is bored or lonely- - - like a weak cat with a dry throat. He often provides us with this cry when he is going down for a nap or when he is in his car seat but doesn't want to be there. I just want to scoop him up and cuddle him whenever I hear it, but often I have to just let him get that little cry out and then he is fast asleep or I provide a pacifier and he calms right down.
I have been trying to spend time daily with Ethan playing on the floor, which lends itself to spending time on our bellies:) Ethan kinda fusses the whole time that he is on his stomach, but is getting stronger at holding his head up. When you place him on your own chest while lying down, he can lift his head about 80 degrees. He also practices holding his head steady when we hold him upright. We get so excited over these accomplishments!
Another fun milestone has been watching him offer us a smile here and there as well as sweet cooing. When Ethan woke up from his last nap today he was all smiles! He also puts on a show stretching his limbs every which way right when he wakes up. What a cutie!
Ethan has now celebrated his first Christmas as well as New Year. He cried most of the day on Christmas (maybe all of the family being over was too much stimulation for him?) but was pretty calm for New Years Eve. We had a few good friends over for Chinese food and games. We had a great time and were so glad that they were able to celebrate with us. Ethan slept for most of it both in his crib and then later in the arms of one of our friends:)
Right before Christmas my younger brother Pierce came into town. It had been a year since we last saw him and it was great to have him here. The day he came to stay the night at our house a huge tumble weed came to visit us! A pic is included to show you just how big it was! Then my big brother R.J. came into town to visit and see his nephew:) I love having family come to visit.
Here are some pictures from the past month:

Great Grandma Freda holding Ethan


Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...