Waffles, Octopus and Apples

What do waffles, octopus and apples have in common? They are all pronounced the same according to Ethan! We are constantly amazed at his ever expanding vocbulary even it takes a few tries to understand the word.  He has also started speaking in 3 or 4 word sentences.  He loves to count. As he points to each object he'll say a number but not in order.  He always ends with 8, 9, 10 no matter how many objects there are.

Today Ryan came home from work early and wanted to take Ethan out to show him the lacrosse sticks. However Ethan took a 4 hour nap today and didn't get up until dinner!  So after dinner we headed out to toss the ball around before it got too dark.  Lilly and I watched and laughed as Ethan kept trying to pick up the ball with his hands while Daddy tried hard to get him to use the stick.  I think Ryan will have to hold off a few more years before drilling the basics into him.  Ethan was very good at throwing the ball up high into the sky with the stick so there is still hope.

Imagine Nation Museum

Today it was a beautiful but terribly cold day. Instead of working on the yard as planned, we decided to stay indoors and headed to the Imagine Nation Museum. Ethan had a blast and since the library has free passes to the Museum, we will definitely be going again.

We may have a future doctor here!

He loved watching the balls go round and round.

Not surprisingly, the water table was his favorite activity.  Especially after he found Nemo!

Lilly had fun watching her brother splash around.

Both Lilly and Ethan love fish tanks. They must take after their dad.

Thats one happy girl after she ate!

Ethan liked the Gecko the best, maybe because her name was Lily.

He wasn't thrilled to dress up like a cowboy, the boots and hat were a no go.

Another ball activity that he loved.  He'll probably like it even more when he gets older and he actually moves the pieces to make his own track.

I'm surprised Lilly slept through all the noise Ethan and Daddy were making.

After we got home, Ethan crashed and took a nap while Lilly was all smiles in the exersaucer. She alternated between playing with the toys and watching the fish.

We had a fun day despite the cold weather. Ethan and Daddy are crazy enough to go outside and are currently building a fire while Lilly sleeps in my arms. I think I'd call it a perfect day :)

Again!

Ethan's most used word right now is "again!" Coming in a close second is "no" He is really starting to copy words that we say as well as asking us "whats this" for all sorts of things. Be prepared to do something over and over and over again if Ethan likes it. Whether its stacking blocks, chasing him around the house, reading a book or tickling him, once you are done he will say "again" and expect you to do it. He is not a happy camper when you don't comply. He loves routine. Ryan usually puts him to bed and has a certain routine down.  When I put him to bed, he lets me know what I need to do next, from brushing his teeth first, right down to laying on the bed beside him- for just a minute-then he pushes me off!

 I must have stacked these blocks over a dozen times. Each time Ethan would knock them over and say "again"  Thankfully he's learned to stack them himself! He likes to head-butt them, if only he would stick to head-butting blocks and not poor Lilly.

 

He loves to wear Daddy's shoes.  He also loves milk. So what could be better than walking around the kitchen in Daddy's shoes while drinking milk?

He loves to play with his cars.  He already knows about quality though.  See the pile of cars on the side? Those are the cheap plastic cars that came with the mat.  The cars on the mat are real metal hot wheels.  He usually only plays with the hot wheels.  If he does use the other cars, its to line them up like a big long train.

I think its impossible to get a picture of both of them smiling, but I will keep trying! This is right before he tried to bulldoze Lilly with his head.

There may still be snow on the ground, but Ethan and Daddy are already working in the garden.  Over the weekend they planted peas, spinach and swiss chard. We have plans to make more beds so we can plant more than we did last year.  I am really looking forward to the raspberry plants we are getting from my dad! Speaking of the backyard, today when he was supposed to be napping, I hear him making all sorts of noise up there, I go up there and he was saying something and pointing out the window.  I looked and saw the neighbors chickens in our yard! He was telling me a whole story about the chickens as he was laughing. Chickens and Roosters in my yard (especially early in the morning) aren't funny to me, but Ethan sure liked it.

Lilly is 4 months

Lilly is now 4 months old.  She went to the doctor last Thursday and weighed 12 lb 13 oz and measured 25 inches.  That puts her in the 79th percentile for height and 33rd percentile for weight.  While she hasn't gained as much as the doctor would have liked, she wasn't concerned.  She said Lilly's acid reflux is probably the culprit. She got two shots and was just like Ethan, slept for hours afterward. The appointment was in the afternoon and she slept from 5:30 until almost 11pm and then was alert until after 1am. I have to remember in the future to always make the shot appointments in the morning!

She is a kicker and I often find her with her feet out of her pjs in the morning.  Good thing she has a blanket sleeper that zips up over her pjs to keep her toes warm! Lilly loves to play with her toes and is constantly reaching for them when her feet are bare. She has rolled over twice, first from tummy to back and then back to tummy. Both times were the week before her blessing and she looked surprised each time.  She hasn't done it since. She is so close, just needs to figure out what to do with her arm! She loves her older brother and is often smiling and laughing while watching his crazy antics.

She is a great helper already-keeping herself entertained while I organize my coupons during Ethan's nap!