Say Cheese!

Our little smiley one was particularly happy the other day, so Ryan grabbed the video camera and got some great footage. Ethan smiles a lot lately and we get such a big kick out of it. Señor Chubbycheeks is getting more and more expressive every day, and will "talk" to us in a cute coo that makes our hearts melt. Seemingly overnight, we went from "I think that's a smile" to the big, obvious grins that you'll see in the following clip:



We know we write about it in almost every post, but Ethan is growing so quickly! We officially said goodbye to the memories of our eight pound infant, packed up all of his newborn clothing, and pulled out the 3-6 month size items. It was sad to see his cute baby onesies get put away in boxes, especially the sentimental items like his coming home outfit. It was fun, however, to hang up the big boy clothes such as overalls and collared shirts. We took the newborn insert out of his carseat, removed the sleep positioner from his crib, and, since he's busting loose, will attempt bedtime sans swaddle tonight. With every goodbye comes an introduction to a new and exciting phase. It's bittersweet to watch the traces of infancy begin to disappear, but such a joy to witness all of the changes.

Almost a Month Old!

Wow - it's hard to believe that it's been almost a month since Ethan was born! He's changing so much each day, and has grown a LOT. Weighing in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. at birth, he lost weight in the hospital and got down to 8 lbs. 1 oz. At his last weigh in, he was closing in on 11 lbs. - that's almost a three pound weight gain! Needless to say, nursing is going well and our hungry little boy is a good eater!

He's made progress in other areas of development, too. In addition to the new facial expressions we've been seeing, Ethan has started to track movement. His big, bright eyes followed as Daddy walked around the bouncy chair the other day, which was a first! He's discovered and delights in mirrors, and loves to stare at himself during diaper changes. Thanks to our recent introduction of tummy time, Ethan's neck muscles are getting stronger and he'll sometimes support his own head for short lengths of time. We've seen some hints of a smile out of him, and can't wait until he starts laughing. He's an amazing little guy, and shows us something new each and every day!

Our big photo shoot will happen in the next few days, to commemorate Ethan turning one month old. Be on the lookout for those pictures, and enjoy these in the meantime!

He likes tummy time, but often falls asleep on the job. Lazy baby.


Is he throwing a massive fit, or just rocking out? You decide.

Growing By Leaps and Bounds...

We knew that babies grew fast, but this fast? Ethan already seems so much bigger than he was when he was born, and has definitely developed in personality since then. He spends a lot more time with his eyes wide open, looking around and taking in the world around him. He has a ton of new facial expressions, and a cute new belly button now that his cord has fallen off. Daddy has been waiting for this to happen before setting up Ethan's first photo shoot, so be on the lookout for some great new pictures soon! Here's a little something to tide you over until then:


Ethan went on his first field trip last week, visiting Muir Woods to see the Redwoods with Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma & Grandpa Emerson. Grandpa had a great time carrying Ethan through the park in the baby sling and, judging by his snoozing, Ethan was quite fond of the experience, too!

We've never seen Grandpa quite so happy as when he was with Ethan!

Remember the Gloworm dolls? We think he's the spittin' image...

We're having so much fun watching Ethan develop into a little person, and can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!

Boy or Girl?

No, we don't know yet... but March 5th is just around the corner! Our next post will probably be the big gender reveal! Until then, we are happily taking predictions, but refusing to speculate ourselves. We had another fantastic report from our doctor today - the heartbeat sounds great, weight gain is right on track, and belly measurements look good. We took round two of the belly portraits last night - it was kind of shocking to see the amount of growth that has taken place in just a few short weeks!







Sarah at four months - and she thought she was big last month!
















Yeah, we're probably going to have to buy new jeans for next month's photo shoot...







Mommy Update:
- Getting used to being told, "You're big for four months!" right after she hears, "You're small for four months!" from someone else... everyone's an expert!
- Feeling GREAT! No more morning sickness, and all of the current symptoms are sooooo minor compared to that!
- Can't wait to feel the little one kick and stretch - also super excited about finding out the gender in a few weeks!
- Has picked up a new habit in preparation for her upcoming role as a mother: she cooks real, microwave-free meals on a regular basis now!

Yes, Sir, That's Our Baby!

Fantastic news!!! Our test results came back, and the baby is in the lowest risk category (1 in 10,000) for genetic defects! We are so happy and relieved!

Everything is on track and progressing nicely! As promised, here's the latest ultrasound picture - doesn't the baby look like an actual baby now?




You can see the baby's profile, with the little fist balled up next to the mouth. It's already trying to suck its thumb! The legs fade back into the darkness, but we verified - they're there! During the ultrasound, the little one was super active, and kept flipping around the wrong way. A few gentle taps on Mommy's belly guided it to flip back over - we were shocked that it was responding to touch! It also kept opening and closing its mouth, kicking its feet, and moving its arms. The skin is so translucent at this point that we could see the full spinal cord. It's still small, measuring at about 3.5 inches from crown to rump (not head to toes, as I originally thought - they don't even attempt to measure those active little legs!). It was incredible to learn that all major components of the body have been formed already! From now on, the baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity, growth, and body refinement.

We find out the gender on March 5th. Those who are willing to put their guess on the table are generally saying boy... which means it has as much, if not more of a chance of being a girl! :) Our next appointment is on February 11th, which will be about the same time as round two of the belly pics. That's also about when we may first be able to feel the baby moving! So exciting!

Mommy Update:
- Happy to have the all clear from the doctor to use the foot massager Grandpa and Grandma Emerson sent for Christmas!
- Excited about the baby presents from Aunt Kelly, especially the dog sound desensitization CD to get Max used to hearing baby cries!
- Wondering if she should load the sound desensitization CD into her iPod so that she can get used to hearing baby cries!
- Has gained only 3 to 5 pounds (depending on the day she steps on the scale), and wonders how that is possible with her new body shape!