Friday, November 7, 2008

Cake Time

Most of today was spent on baking cakes for Ethan's birthday party tomorrow. Ethan was very curious and wanted to help but instead kept managing to open the foil on the butter and eat it. Not sure how good it is for an 18th month old to eat butter by the handfuls. (haha) Here are the final masterpieces. Ethan's cake is like his practice cake- white cake. The chocolate cake you see has 2 layers with pink rasberry icing filling. Not to bad if I do say so myself. We also made a few cupcakes with the left over chocolate batter which Ethan LOVES. We are all looking forward to spending the day at Mama and Papa Zee's with them, Uncle Robin, Uncle Dan, Uncle Josh, Anna, and Great Grannie and Great Gramps.

Ethan's Antics

Our boy sure likes to ham things up. Check out these faces.
Eating his aphabet spaghetti.
Goofing off in the bath.
Here he is holding his own cup like a big boy.
Adam and I both love these photo of him on the chair. We are so lucky since Arianne, one of the moms at playgroup gives her son's Scott's old clothes to Ethan. Some of them are brand new!!! Not even worn like this realy nice top. Ethan has so much clothes, we don't have room for ours.
Here is Ethan getting up onto and down off the chair. This is Ethan Swa Swa ya ("ya ya" to Ethan) Playing in the bath

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Ethan's One year and Half!

Since Daddy wasn't with us for Ethan's first birthday we are celebrating his birthday this Saturday (the 8th) at Mama and Papa Zee's. This was my first time ever making a birthday cake for Ethan so I thought I would make a practice cake first just in case I messed up. Ethan really likes turtles - "Tur tuh" so that is why his cake is in the shape of a turtle.
It turned out wonderfully. We brought it to Monday Playgroup to share with everyone and it was gobbled up. Moms and kids both wanted seconds and there was none left to bring home- which made me extremely happy! If you look closely you can see there is one candle and a half candle- heee hee.
His one and half birthday was on Saturday Nov.1st but Mama and Papa Zee were in Tanzania but it was Bonfire Night here in Bentham so he got to watch a lantern parade with a huge dragon lantern on wheels, drummers in the Battala band which Uncle Rob was in and a massive fire and fireworks show! Pretty awesome half birthday.
Ethan was pretty relaxed and I don't think he realized what was going on around him.
Later that evening, Dad and Ethan hanging out before bedtime.
Below is Ethan being silly!
Daddy and Ethan playing zoo.
Upset about his piano not working.

Halloween night, daddy made a fire to keep us toastie warm. We decorated the door with a witch's hat, and candles outside. Not on the video are the Trick or Treaters who knocked on our door 5-6 times and everytime, Ethan would look at all the kids in awe. Then as they left, he would try to follow them but ofcourse we held him back. This resulted in him screaming in anger and protest.

Ethan still likes drumming

Drumming at Uncle Rob's place in Lancaster.

Playing with Daddy

After our visit to Canada, we came home to a daddy with a beard! Here is Super Cool Ethan hanging out with his dad.
We've had a cool two weeks and a bit of frost on the ground. Daddy is feeling much more energetic now and helps around the house and with Ethan alot.
Ethan has learned so many new things it's so hard to keep up with him.
Ethan's new developments:
- He can climb onto low chairs which means he can manage to get to all sorts of stuff on high surfaces like in the kitchen and on the shelves. He can also climb out of his crib. He is taller now so he can scoot ( use his legs to move forward and move on his butt) off the bed and land on his feet. He can climb onto the sofa and today managed to get a cotton swab and begin pulling the cotton off of it.
- He loves brushing his teeth *Swa Swa Ya!* can get Ethan up the stairs in seconds, onto his chair infront of the sink and jumping up and down for his toothbrush in anticipation say "ya ya..YA YA!!"- Both Adam and I find ourselves brushing our teeth three times or more a day.
- He will ask for books to be read to him "Buhh" and will go and get books out for you and try to put them back in his book box. We've been to the libary ten times and he has two special reading certificates.
- He is eating really well. Still loves pasta, hotdogs, and has just started eating chicken and carrots. (Knock on wood) as he is not a keen vegetable eater- like his Uncle Jeff as a kid.
- He knows the difference now between Bao and Bei bei ( his blanket which he used to call Bao) now he will say "Bao" when he wants me to pick him up or say "Uhh" for up. I encourage him to also say please :"Eesh"
- We say grace before every meal and Ethan knows to put his hands together- he tries really hard to entwine his fingers together but it's rather complicated but good effort.
- Meal time is quite fun as he he will eat, babble, move his head from side to side. He also is very particular where his juice is placed on his chair table. He will take a drink with both hands, place his drink on one side next to his plate and then continue eating. When he is done, he will push his plate off his chair table onto the dining table and his cup too. Then say "DOWW"- (down) and sometimes "EeSH"- (please) comes after it. - He has started hating putting on his jacket to go outdoors and screams each time we try to get him in in.
- He is still drooling and we think the last of his back teeth are coming in now... we will see since we have a family dentist appointment this Friday.
- Also, before he was on Lacto free formula, which we changed to Lacto free milk and now we are introducing whole milk slowly. So far so good as this will be cheaper for us all around. - He also will scoot his way forward to get down the stairs. He prefers going down stairs on his bum than on his belly. It will be interesting to see how he will feel about this at Ama and Gong Gong's house as their steps aren't carpeted but polished wood.
- He also loves to run outside. He doesn't walk. He RUNS full tilt which can be scary as the walkways are very narrow and he is very fast.
- He still sucks his thumb when in a stranger's company or environment, in the car seat, and before bed or trying to get himself back to sleep.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Some videos

Ethan and Jackson bird watching.

Some more bird watching.

Ethan, Taylor and Jackson running down the hall screaming.