Charts and Graphs (not PHOTOgraphs)

When Ethan was a newborn, I kept data on everything. Perhaps I went a little overboard, but hey - occupational hazard. I tracked his feedings, recorded his diapers, and tallied his sleep hours. As he's grown up, the era of presenting his pediatrician with such detailed information has passed. All I have left now is counting his teeth and tracking his weight and height stats at his checkups.


After graphing the "normal" stats, I started to think about what else I could visually represent. I was right in the middle of a good train of thought when Ethan let out a blood-curdling scream, followed by a satisfied chuckle. It was then that inspiration for the following graph struck:


I figured Ethan's volume has ranged from 0dB (the weakest sound that can be heard) to 95dB (the level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss). Don't bother yelling at me for making a graph using estimated instead of empirical data... I can't hear you.

Ooh, this is fun! Should we try one more?

Ethan and Max are pals. Most of the time. Some of the time. Well, Ethan likes Max, at least. Unfortunately, Ethan's form of lovin' is shown in swats, tail pulls, and eye pokes. Usually Max is pretty tolerant. Considering the fact that Ethan plays with the dog's toys, crawls into the dog's bed, and has taken away most of the dog's attention, Max has the patience of a saint. Dogs will be dogs, though, and sometimes he can't resist teaching the boy a lesson:


You'll see that Max does get in a few good licks here and there. While much more infrequent, the dog's wallops pack a bigger punch. On Friday, Ethan fought the dog and the dog won. Ryan is calling Ethan "Scarface" while his wounds heal - though he assures me that the scratch on my baby's face will not result in a permanent mark. I guess you can call this our first taste of sibling squabbles.

So what does the analyzation of this data show me?

1) My boy is growing fast.
2) I need to invest in earplugs.
3) Maybe we'll wait a bit longer before thinking about baby #2.

Obsessed

I've developed a lot of obsessions over the past year. There are baby products that I couldn't live without. There are tools of convenience that make mommyhood, well, more convenient. There are Ethan's chubby little toes and sweet chipmunk cheeks that beg to be squished, pinched, kissed, and tickled.

And then there's the iPhone 3GS. More specifically, the video function of the iPhone 3GS. I was hooked from the moment I pressed the record button. It's sleek. It's accessible. It's easy. I'm obsessed.

It's become a bit unhealthy, I must admit, as I'm starting to view my life in video clips. Instead of simply enjoying the moment, I frequently think, "Gee, I should really grab my phone and take a video of (insert heartwarming or funny baby behavior here)."

Not wanting to be unproductive, I've decided to make use of my newfound obsession by posting some of my favorites for your viewing pleasure. To make it a bit more interesting, I've also decided to challenge you to come up with a witty title for the last video clip. Leave your best idea in a comment on this post, and the winner* will be chosen and announced for all to admire. *Note - the "prize" for the "winner" of this "contest" is an ego-boosting dose of pride.

Don't be daunted by the amount of videos below... most are only fifteen to thirty seconds long!


Ethan cozies up with his toys



Learning how to walk



Saying "gege" (E's form of "doggie")



Playing in the park with Dada



Learning how to play fetch



Max doesn't want to share



Grass feels super icky



Contest clip - take your best shot!


Well, what are you waiting for? Name! That! Video!

Babies Look Cute Dressed As Old Men

I realized that I haven't done an Ethan stats update in a while, so here's a quick run-down:

- Weighs at least 22 lbs. (as of last weigh in about two weeks ago) and is at least 27 inches long (as of last measurement two months ago)
- Has had his diaper changed more than 1560 times (and yes, fellow mommies, my husband DOES do diapers and is responsible for changing at least 1/2 of those!)
- Is not crawling yet, but can roll across rooms to get anywhere he wants to be (will employ snazzy 3-point turns if he needs to change directions)
- Doing lots of babbling, and frequently refers to Ryan as "Da-Da" (then again, I am also referred to as Da-Da... and so is Max... and the occasional preferred inanimate object...)
- Is eating a ton of different foods, his favorites being anything orange (sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, etc.)
- Has four teeth, two on top, and two on bottom (and perhaps more coming in - lots of drooling and finger chewing going on)
- Is starting to play with other babies by reaching out to touch them, handing them toys, and accepting toys handed to him (oh, and pulling hair - we're working on that one.)
- Laughs, laughs, laughs all the time, especially at ANYTHING that Ryan does (apparently he already realizes what a goofball his father is)
- Super good buds with Max, and loves to pet him, pull on his tail, and grab his paws (much to Max's chagrin)
- Is the apple of his mommy's eye, and the subject of his daddy's photography (though this is probably not news to loyal blog readers, it does act as a nice segue to the following image)

Chillin' in My Hood

It's been so rainy and yucky lately that we jumped at the chance to spend some time outdoors during a brief dry spell. Ethan has pretty much mastered the art of sitting up unassisted, even when he has the interference of a dog sitting on his lap!




His sitting isn't the only thing that's changed in the short time since our last post. He has four teeth now, and loves eating his oatmeal cereal. He'll crane his neck forward and open his mouth in anticipation of the spoon. My, how things can change so quickly with this little guy! Sarah started making and freezing the next few foods that Ethan will be introduced to. This weekend he will have his first taste of sweet potatoes. Hopefully he hasn't inherited his Daddy's disdain for veggies, otherwise we'll be stuck with a freezer full of baby food mush!


Another new trick Ethan learned is blowing raspberries. He takes a deep breath in preparation (which gives us a two second warning to shield our faces), and then lets the spit fly. We know we shouldn't laugh... but it's so darn cute that we can't help ourselves! He's already discovered this is a great way to get a rise out of us, and it's encouraging him to find every opportunity he can to soak Mommy and Daddy. He squeals with delight every time he does this, which makes us laugh even more. He's such a funny boy!

Happy Halloween!

We're very excited about Ethan's first holiday! Sure, he won't know the difference between the 30th and the 31st, but it's still fun to celebrate. Though he won't remember, we're looking forward to starting our holiday family traditions. Sarah is also looking forward to getting free candy again... babies who go Trick-or-Treating do get candy, right?

We used all of the goodies we got from the pumpkin patch to shoot Ethan's three month photos. He wasn't a big fan of being stuck inside of the slimy pumpkin, but was much more content once we lined it with a blanket. We can't believe that he's already three months old! He's about sixteen pounds now, and has gained a lot of strength and skills in the last month. Sarah was shocked to find Ethan on his belly when he woke up about a week ago. It's official - he can roll over - but it's about a 20 minute process that usually only happens when he's agitated. He loves sleeping on his side, and can hold himself in that position for a loooooong time. He's able to hold up his head for much longer periods now, too. No propping necessary for this photo shoot... he got a great neck muscle workout supporting himself the entire time!


He's losing his hair, which is both sad and exciting. We hate to see his baby locks go, but can't wait to discover what color his "new" hair will be. Do you think it will be dark like his Daddy's? Ryan's hair was actually blond until he was about three years old, so who knows if this new batch that grows in will be his true hair color.

We couldn't resist getting him a Halloween costume. Usually there aren't many options for a baby his age, but since he's so huge he was able to fit into a 6 month-sized costume, which opened a lot more possibilities. We chose (what else?) the cutest little monkey costume we could find. Actually, we chose the cutest little monkey costume that Aunt Mary found!


Ethan sends his love to all of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that are far, far away. He also sends instructions to mail all of your leftover candy to our house, addressed to him in care of Sarah. Happy Halloween!