There is nothing cuter than a baby in overalls, unless said baby is also wearing a cowboy hat

So my blog hiatus is over, and I have a million things to write about! We all had a great Christmas - twice, actually! :)

(If you look carefully, you can see Ethan's belly hanging over his pants. Maybe we need to stop feeding this kid.)

On Christmas Eve, we traveled to Cincinnati to visit with the Jewett family. Ethan was a super boy in the car, and even fell asleep for just a little bit on the way there. He was delighted to see all of his relatives, some of whom he hasn't seen since last Christmas. Very different baby then!
We had many wonderful meals (that I didn't help prepare AT ALL) and boyo was the recipient of some fantastic gifts. It took him a little while to get interested in them, because he was determined to throw out all of his Aunt Kim's Tupperware, put everything he could find in his mouth, and terrorize any cat that dared to make an appearance.

I apologize for waxing nostalgic and philosophical for a moment, but I realized on this trip that I have kind of grown up. (I'm 37, it's about time.) One of Brian's nephews is 15, and was horrified that all we wanted to do on Christmas day was hang out, take naps, and follow Ethan around. I so remember being that age and still desperately wanting to see what was under the tree! Sometime between then and now I became fairly unconcerned with Christmas as a present-bearing holiday, and became relieved that it's an opportunity for family get-togethers (and really yummy food)!

Anyway, one of Ethan-boy's gifts was this fantastic set of corduroy overalls and a little snowman shirt. (Somehow the 14 month old boy fits perfectly into a 24 month outfit. I really have to stop feeding this kid.) As soon as we got back into town and I washed it, he was geared up for the Jones family celebration this morning, before my sister headed to Chicago to see some friends.
Anda now lives in Santa Fe, and brought a little something special for her favorite nephew.

Unfortunately, he reacted to its placement on his head the same way he reacts to anything being placed on his head. We all wore the hat and agreed that Gramma Judy looked best in it. :)

Brian and I finished this dual celebration very very grateful that our families are 1) into only stocking-stuffer-type presents these days, 2) enjoy having a loud baby at the table who throws food that he loved yesterday all over the floor, and 3) are not too far away to see at the very least once a year. Happy Holidays to all!

Mean Mama!

Before....

After!
Maybe next year. Poor little boy. :)

Two Weeks to Christmas?! &%#$!

Excuse my symbols, but I can't believe that it's even December! In our house, it could pretty much be July. We have no tree, no lights, no presents...a whole lot of nothing going on here. In the last 10 days, I've been to a three-day training in Bloomington, done my civic duty at the Champaign Courthouse (meaning sitting in the freezing cold jury assembly room for hours), stayed home with the Ethan-boy after we discovered he had a double ear infection (for how long, I have no idea - he's not fussy at all!) and a lovely case of pink eye (pic below), and gone to work as much as possible. Brian has been up well past midnight most nights in order to do late-night weather briefings and prepare lectures for class, and last week he flew a plane into that lovely winter storm we all heard about. We're a little frazzled. :)

However, with my whining comes the understanding that people do this kind of stuff all the time! So I'm pulling myself up by my bootstraps (the Jewett clan will appreciate that one) and getting over myself - bring on the Christmas cookies!

I keep reminiscing about last year at this time. With a little guilt, I have to say that I'm so relieved that Ethan is now 13 1/2 months old and not 6 weeks old any more! Those newborn days were wonderful, but hard - I don't think I've ever felt so clueless in my life. He's a totally different kind of challenge right now, and such a fun one.

Did you just tell me NO, Mom?

(Apparently our childproofing needs a little work. I think the goal is to keep the kid's hands out of the cabinet.) He is learning several words, like "No!" and "Stop!" pretty well by now. :) After falling down our two stairs once, he now stops when I tell him to.

New Developments

Well, as you can all see from the giggly post below, Ethan is now walking. ACK! Actually, he's so delighted to be mobile that Brian and I are very happy to see how excited he gets when he's moving around - we are barely anxious about all of our papers and computers, or his inability to stop once he gets near our (two) stairs. (Actually, we are kind of anxious about the latter...)

He is also:

• Carrying things around as he walks, which is pretty funny to watch
• Loving being chased - "Mama's going to get you!" produces many giggles
• Trying to eat with utensils but is only successful when it's something he really really likes, like cheese :)
  

One thing that we've enjoyed recently is heading to the library on the weekends. Our public library has a great children's section - even for kids as little as Ethan!
Ethan thinks his mother is very very strange. Why on earth would a giraffe be crawling up his arm? Really.....
The most popular options were anything that opened and closed. He is a big fan of open/close.

The library has come in handy as we are considering this transition from two naps to one and need something fun to do away from a crib in the morning. And they have such great activities there, too! During the week, they have a Babies Lap Time, and I can't wait to take Ethan during my Christmas Break. When he gets a little older, there will be crafts, computer games, and even chess games with other kids. Oh, there are books there, too. But the librarians frown when you put them in your mouth, which kind of holds Ethan back. :)

Officially a Toddler!

You'll have to forgive the camera work. My videographer was at his day job.

Tofu?!

I am not Earth Mother Extraordinaire. Yes, we used cloth diapers (regrettably only for a year - I won't go into the details of why we stopped! You're welcome. :)) and Brian and I do try to recycle when we can. And I still cook for Ethan most of the time - it feels great to see him really enjoy a muffin that I made, rather than opening a package of something that contains who knows what chemicals and almost no vitamins....(that doesn't stop me from eating that way, but I hate to have the baby eat that crap!)

Anyway, all of my tree-hugger/Birkenstock-wearing/green-Urbana-loving acquaintances would be proud that Ethan had his first tofu today, and he LOVED it. I'm really glad that he enjoys it, because it's probably going to be a frequent source of protein. His blood test results came back, and he is most definitely allergic to peanuts - quite seriously, apparently. He'll even get a little EpiPen. He is also moderately allergic to eggs, which is a surprise, since I've made scrambled eggs for him more than once and didn't notice any reaction. But eggs and peanut butter are two big sources of protein at Chez Jewett-Jones, so we are looking outside the box for alternatives. (To all carnivores: I know, there are dead cows, chickens, and pigs outside that box, too. :) )

Sorry to not have taken pictures of the experience! He ate too fast...and then when he started getting full, he thought it was great fun to mash it and drop it all on the floor. Cleaning up mashed tofu is no fun!

Why Alexis's Job Will Make Others Jealous

While I love the Ethan-boy more than anything, it's probably about time that I post once in awhile about how Brian and I are doing in our professional and personal lives. We are still gainfully employed, and I for one am lucky to have the job that I do - one that allows me to work part time so I'm not getting home right when Ethan is heading for bed!

My job as a grant coordinator in Urbana is fantastic. Not only do I work with some seriously smart people who challenge me every day, but I get to do such a variety of things - teacher trainings on gifted education, work with new teachers and their mentors, and last (but definitely not least!) American History professional development for K-12 teachers all over our area. One recent job requirement (yes, a requirement) was a trip to Atlanta for the National Council for the Social Studies Conference. Believe it or not, conferences are pretty darn exhausting. I want to squeeze in as many sessions as possible, visit the vendors for cheap new books, and go site seeing if time allows. Travel with my colleagues is especially fun, though this time we desperately missed Cynthia, who is now living the Stay At Home Mom life in Milwaukee! She and I shared many a bread pudding in New Orleans a few years ago....

Anyway, this conference trip was no different - GREAT sessions (one on LBGT issues that was just great and makes me want to live in Seattle), a great visit to the vendor area where I picked up books that are now itching to be read, and lots and lots of visiting Atlanta.
The first morning we were there I had the opportunity to hear John Lewis speak. This man spoke to the same huge crowd that heard Martin Luther King give his I Have a Dream speech, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see him! (His talk was at 7:15 in the morning, 6:15 Central time, so you know how motivated I must have been...) But I couldn't get in! I didn't have a ticket for the special breakfast, and the woman at the door wouldn't let me in, even though I promised not to eat. :( I have to learn to be more assertive, because I really wanted to hear him! It all worked out, because I came back to my hotel room to pout and had breakfast via iChat with Brian and Ethan. LOVE high-speed internet access.
Our morning tour was of the CNN Atlanta Studio, which was so amazing. No Anderson Cooper viewings; apparently he's not even there! But the behind the scenes aspect of CNN is just fantastic, and we got to see all over the place. The director has to coordinate (I can't remember how many but it's a lot) of news feeds at once in order to bring you what you see every day. As with anything, I think the fact that they make it look effortless means they're doing a good job.
Anyone who has been to Atlanta knows that you HAVE to visit the World of Coke. Diet Coke is an addiction around the office (we're considering adding it to a list of job qualifications at upcoming interviews), and we were all very excited to go, though a little creeped out at the huge polar bear. And it's in pictures like this that I remember how freakishly tall I am compared to the normal person! I should be standing next to the bear to appear shorter...
The Atlanta aquarium was also by our hotel, so we had to make an appearance. I forgot how much I loved aquariums - the one in Chicago was a serious favorite when I was a kid, and I even went through a phase when I wanted to be a marine biologist. (Mostly because dolphins were very cool and I wanted to pet the otters all the time...)

So you might be thinking, "What in the world was Ethan doing at this time?!" Even though he was in excellent hands at home with Brian (for only two nights, really), I did have some serious guilt, especially the first night, wondering what he was doing, if his cold was worse, was he expecting me to pick him up at daycare, if he missed me, if he would remember me when I got back...It was really great to be able to see him on the computer early in the morning - a very pixellated baby, but still a moving and shaking and fussing baby all the same! And we had a great day indoors together when I got back - it rained all day, so there was no decent reason to go outside. Not a great way to come back from 70 degree Atlanta, but a great opportunity to spend time with the little boy.

No more PB for YOU!

(A reference to Seinfeld's Soup Nazi for those of you familiar with the show...)

At Ethan's last appointment, I asked his doctor what food we needed to avoid now that he was a big one year old boy. He gave us a green light for all of it (not choking hazards, of course), even honey, which I was a little surprised about, having heard that babies can't have honey until they're two because of potential bacteria. I even asked specifically about peanut butter, because not only is there conflicting information out there for nervous parents like us, but Brian and I practically live on the stuff! So Ethan got a tiny little bit on a cracker about a week ago - no problem, and a little bit more on his toast this morning.

Within two hours he was waking up very early from a nap bright red all over and scratching like mad. Poor little baby...He wasn't as fussy as I probably would be with my body reacting like that, but he was obviously uncomfortable.
(The picture doesn't really do it justice - he was red and bumpy all up and down his arms and all over his face! But as sympathetic as we were, we of course had to take pictures of the whole thing.)

So we took our first visit to Convenient Care with the boy. (I'm very aware that it won't be our last!) We are so lucky to live about 4 blocks away from our clinic, and they have great hours for stuff like this. We got right in and saw a doctor, who confirmed our suspicion that what we were seeing was probably a food allergy and it was probably the peanut butter. Ethan has been doped up on Prednisone and Benadryl ever since. And he's not either hyper or sleepy, as I would have expected with lots of meds in his system - he's just the same tough kid we're used to!

We even met Gramma and Grampa (and their very high maintenance dog) out at the park today for some fun. The swings weren't Ethan's favorite today, but being Up High Boy on Brian's shoulders was a hit.

One-man Wrecking Crew

He's cute, that's for sure. He has the attention span of a gnat, and is alternately giddy and fussy, but he sure is cute. And it's a good thing!

Ethan has turned into Destructo Boy lately. It doesn't help that he can move around so darn quickly, too. He can walk a few steps at a time (!!!) but is a much faster crawler, so he spends maybe 90 seconds on one thing, then another, then another...I'm getting my exercise following him around and picking up after him!

(By the way, Ethan doesn't wear the stormy shirt every day. I just happen to get camera-happy when he wears it for some reason! I especially like the off-the-shoulder look he's sporting in this one.)

The funniest new development that I've noticed recently is that he absolutely understands what "No" means. He heads for the cat food, "No!" He starts digging in the plant, "No!" Today after heading for the cats' water bowl, he heard it again and stopped. (What a good boy! Sort of...) He tried about 2 more times and got the same reaction before he started whimpering. I laughed out loud. (I'm sure I'm not supposed to laugh when my child whimpers, but it's just so hard not to. :) )

Happy....:)

Alexis hates developmental charts!

She does! (I do, really.)

We had Ethan's 12 month well-baby appointment today, and it all went really well. He's HUGE! He's gained tons of weight and is very very healthy. But at every appointment, we turn in these "Ages and Stages" checklists. Does your baby throw a ball? Does your baby point to the ball? Does your baby pick up a Cheerio with the tips of his fingers? Does your baby pick up a Cheerio with the tips of his fingers and his hands off the highchair tray? Does your baby throw the Cheerios but put the ball in his mouth??? (Yes.) I'm a teacher, and I know very well that all children develop at their own rates. But we couldn't check anything in the "communication" category, and that does bother me a little bit. No, he doesn't say Mama and Dada to us (though he does babble both at times), he doesn't point to something he wants, yada yada yada.... That bothers me, probably unreasonably. I'm also trying to do some baby signing with him, but he's probably not getting it yet because I'm fairly inconsistent with it!

Anyway, Ethan's awesome. I think his only problem is his neurotic mother. :)

Ethan Day!

In the spirit of other Joneses and Jewetts, Ethan has managed to spread his birthday out over more than one day. He celebrated it with his daycare buddies on Friday (with a taste of chocolate cake - first sugar EVER) and with his family today. And he handles being the center of attention well. :)
We had such fun today. Ethan took a great nap - he is still getting in that morning nap, but I'm beginning to see signs that it may be on its way out - and then was up and ready for food, attention, and presents. My sister, who is unbelievably moving to Santa Fe tomorrow, came by to get in some snuggle time before she moves. She also brought an adorable present! Ethan has been banging on it ever since.

You can't see from this angle (I couldn't seem to get his face and the toy in a good shot!) but this is a little piano - very sturdy, thank goodness, since he dumped it over twice in the first few minutes he was checking it out. As he banged on it relentlessly, every family member commented on his musical genius - I hope that our little prodigy is able to support his parents in the manner to which we would like to become accustomed!The cards were a little lost on Ethan, but he did make an effort. He's very interested in "open/close" these days, so he was patient with us glancing at the inside of each card before moving on to the ripping of paper off boxes and other new things to put in his mouth.
Ethan's Aunt Kim and Grammy Barbara were here to enjoy the celebration as well! We're lucky that Cincinnati is a mere 3 1/2 hours away, because they'll be able to see this boy grow up! He looks so much like a little boy, too, that we were placing bets on when he would walk. I think my mom and Barbara are betting on sometime between now and Thanksgiving, though I think chances are better for Christmas time. Mom actually wanted to test it out, and my assurances that he would fall flat on his face almost didn't deter her. I'll have to make sure my dad closely supervises any babysitting she does in the next few weeks, or Ethan will be black and blue by the time I return!
I'm afraid I don't have a cute picture of Ethan smushing a huge piece of cake in his face. He was very curious about the carrot banana muffin (go ahead and roll your eyes - but it did have icing!) that we stuck a candle in. He did eat the whole thing, and loved it! And between that, the scrambled eggs, and smushed fruit, he had the breakfast of a big boy. I just love that he's eating almost the same things that we are these days! Of course, much of that ends up on the high chair pad, on the floor, and rubbed in his hair...

Halloween!

October is a very very important month. First of all, it's Fall! Secondly, we have to celebrate Halloween. And most importantly, a little boy will unbelievably be turning 1.

Because I can't really believe the third item from that list, I'm going to spend a little time on the second. Brian and I keep saying that this will be Ethan's first Halloween, first snow, first etc., etc., but of course that's not true. It's just the first time that he'll be really really fun during this season! I've looked through many catalogs trying to figure out what His Majesty should wear this year. I even bought two costumes, thinking that I would post pictures of both and let you all decide! But Ethan already knows what he does and doesn't like, and decided for me.

Mr. E is going to be Mr. Bee for Halloween. All we need now are some black socks, and we're good! :)

I also bought a cheapo lion costume, because I just couldn't resist the thought of Ethan's curly locks topped by a curly mane. But I couldn't even get that mane on him long enough to snap a picture, so I didn't figure that we were having any luck there. (Luckily, that was the cheap costume I bought - obviously Ethan has more expensive taste.)

I'm not sure how much trick-or-treating we'll do! Maybe to a few neighbors to show off, Gramma & Grampa's house, and then home for bed. I am the first to admit that this costume is primarily for the photo op. :)

Happy Fall!

Happy Fall, everyone. I think that Central Illinois had the full span of Fall weather this weekend, with a truly icky day of mist, wind, and cold rain all day Saturday, but beautiful sunny skies today! Ethan and I enjoyed some time outside on the hammock. :)
Besides the beautiful fall weather, we're enjoying a great visit with Ethan's Grammy Barbara from Cincinnati. I love that Brian's family is as laid back as the Joneses, because when we get up, we get up (though Ethan rushes that a little), when we eat, we eat, and when we nap, we all nap! It has been great to spend so much time together, since this boy changes weekly.
One of the things that we've enjoyed about Ethan so much lately is his interest in the very very ordinary. His favorite toys? A tupperware container filled with plastic spoons & old pacifiers. An empty formula container produced lots of giggles as we rolled it across the floor the other day. And how dare we recycle that Cheerios box?!
His first birthday is coming up very soon (!!!) and I'm recommending that his friends and family wrap up anything they can find sitting around in drawers that they don't want. Plastic kitchen utensils that need to be replaced? Ethan would love to put those in his mouth. A box from that new TV you just bought? That will be lots of fun for the whole family. And if you've got anything that could be remotely dangerous, he is especially interested in any of that.

If you look closely, you'll see that on Ethan's shirt are lots of clouds, some very stormy. :) That shirt was given to us by Brian's meteorologically-savvy friends Ed and Lucia, who are now the proud parents of little Luciana. We haven't worked out the details for the arranged marriage yet, but we're working on it. She's a cutie.

The First Babysitter

I used to think that Ethan was a kid who took awhile to adjust. To new people, new situations, etc. I think I'm projecting. He's fine. :)

Since I heard that Capitol Steps was heading to Champaign-Urbana, I knew I had to go. And better yet, Brian and I should go together! And we should take my parents to thank them for all that they've done since Ethan has been born. They've really been amazing. Needless to say, we haven't really be able to take them out since they were our only in-town babysitters for awhile. This has really pushed us to make a big move and get a babysitter for Ethan.

Now, my friends with Ethan-age children are out of town, and other folks I know have tons of family in town, or babysitters who they have known for ages. With the university across the street and poor college students wanting to make money, you'd think we'd have babysitters banging down our door. But we wanted something a little more reliable than walking up to the door of a sorority house, knocking on the door, and asking who was free on Saturday night. So we found two lovely women online. Shocking, I know! Though with this website (Care.com) we were able to run background checks, call for references, and meet them many times before actually hiring anyone. And the two we decided on using are absolutely wonderful - one is an early childhood education major, another is a CNA, they both have been babysitting for at least 8 years and have past clients who absolutely love them...and Ethan loves them both! I have to just shake my head at this boy and how quickly he starts to flirt with pretty girls. My sister, the women who work at the Infant Cognition Lab, these babysitters...he is giggly and jumpy within 1 minute!

I think that the best compliment that we could ever have is how happy this baby is. Brian's sister Kim said months ago that he was the happiest baby she could remember, Vilma says the same thing (poor Vilma, with a new little boy there who screams daily), and now his babysitters are bringing out the giggles and squirminess as well. What a cutie.

Be careful what you wish for!

I apologize to all of you out there who are waiting anxiously for the next picture of Ethan - recently, most of my time with him has been spent with my hands trying to protect his little diapered behind.

Ethan is moving all over the place. And he's almost always moving toward something we don't want him to have - oh, the plants (choking hazard), an exposed cord (yanking hazard), or the cats (clawing hazard).
And then there are our floors. I never thought I was a neat freak, but I didn't think I lived in filth - but having the little boy all over them is making me so paranoid! With the four cats tracking in cat litter, we are vacuuming all the time and have plans to shampoo the carpets ASAP. But we are so delighted that he has found this new independence that we don't want to hold him back too much...

His favorite way of giving his mother a heart attack this weekend is to pull up on something, cruise a few steps, turn, and then LET GO. He has such a false sense of security, which I'm sure I've helped along, since every time he falls, I catch him just before he smushes his face or breaks an arm.

Whew.

He is such a delightful, happy boy! We've had such fun recently taking him outside and playing with him since the weather is so wonderful. (And there aren't any cords or hard corners outside.) He is at this great stage where he loves taking things out...out of the drawers, out of the hampers, out of boxes...so recently, I took an old lidless tub and filled it with little toys, balls, etc. It was a hit! He takes it all out, I put it all back in, he takes it all out...repeat as necessary!

Wild Man

Well, it's been a wild few weeks with Mr. Ethan! First of all, the boy is getting yet another tooth...or two. And this one is not coming without a fuss! Poor little boy, "cutting a tooth" really means that those little sharp things have to push their way through his little gums, and I think we're all glad that we can't remember how that feels. But I can't figure out if it's going to be just one or several...he's got a couple little bumps on his gums that look like they're ready for business.

Besides that, he is so ready to crawl! Since he's had such strong legs from a very early age, there was some discussion among the family that he might walk before crawling. However, he walks like a drunken sailor, and only with lots and lots of hand holding, of course. :) I think he either needs to work on his balance or lay off the vodka. He's been much happier on his belly these days, because he's learned to go from a sitting position to his stomach, inch his way along the floor, roll when he wants to go sideways, and even get on to his hands and knees and rock front to back! That is so funny to watch...Today, I tried to capture the experience, but he loves the camera so much (yikes) that he would usually stop whatever he was doing when he knew I was taking a picture. So I just put the camera on the floor, watched him squirm toward it, and took mystery pictures. They are better than I could have imagined! (Cue the music to Jaws...)

Brian and I are totally encouraging this crawling thing while not having done more than the barest childproofing around the house. I have a feeling that we'll be doing it in a huge rush very soon!

Happy Birthday, Brian!

One week ago, Brian had his x0th birthday. I'll leave it at that. :)

To celebrate, he wanted to go to Chicago. We haven't been since last year when our car was broken into and we had to drive back to CU with a bubble wrap and duct tape window. (But it's mostly because we just had a baby that we haven't been back since - we weren't really mad at Chicago.) Anyway, we did all of our favorite things with Ethan this time - a run down by the lake, a trip to the Apple Store, and breakfast from Corner Bakery! But this time, Corner Bakery delivered so that we could enjoy it with all of the friends and family that joined us in our hotel room. Brian's sister and mother drove all the way from Cincinnati, my parents came up and stayed with Anda, and Brian's nephew drove from Madison to join us for the morning. It was a great time!


Most of Brian's gifts were gag gifts, and we're really lucky that he has a sense of humor! But he did get some really thoughtful pictures, books, and even a PowerPoint that a friend of his made with lots of old (not that old) pictures. In it he referred to Brian as the "man who doesn't age". I agree!

Simple Pleasures

Things have been a little hectic around Chez Jewett-Jones recently, so I haven't taken many pictures at all! A pretty busy week was spent at work during our history grant Summer Institute on Reform (coolest topic ever) - this week included a trip to Chicago for some tours and a visit to Hull House, which I just loved.

So we took it pretty easy here this weekend! The weather in CU is gorgeous right now, and we spent almost all day outside - weeding (desperately needed), a short jog for Mr. Ethan and me (also desperately needed), and a nice walk at the end of the day for all of us. While his parents weeded the front yard, Ethan was a great little boy who played with his super books and plastic rings. We've recently discovered that he loves to see things fall - I thought it was the bouncing of objects as they hit the ground, but nope, they just need to fall....

Beach Boy

It's really hard traveling with a baby. You know, someone who gets whiny on the plane when their ears hurt, who wakes up early and cries, who needs regular naps to be happy and sociable... but luckily, Brian and Ethan only had to put up with me for a week! :)

Really, Brian and I were so proud of Ethan on this trip. He doesn't really sleep in the car like he used to, and his first plane trip was way too exciting for a nap, but the overtired boy was still charming and delightful (for a few minutes, anyway) when we arrived in Nags Head. He adjusted to the rented crib just fine and was a really good sport every time we gooped him up with sunscreen for the beach. (Considering his gorgeous, soft baby skin and a family history of skin cancer, we were extra careful - sunscreen reapplied every so often, a great little tent that he hung out under, and a cute little hat that covered his ears and neck (and a lot of his face when he got impatient with it!).


Interestingly enough, it was rare to find all five of us at the beach at the same time! Everyone in the small household is a naptaker (thank goodness) and so it was fairly common for one or two people to be napping or eating while others were sunning themselves. Ethan was often down for his first nap before the rest of the world was awake - not surprising considering how early he gets up! But Brian and I really made the most of our time there doing beach-like things that involved more than sunscreen and sand. We rented a baby jogger (since I like ours so much) and used that to go for a run with Ethan early one morning. We had a baby backpack there as well, and tried Ethan in that instead of the Baby Bjorn (since he's getting so darn heavy) for a walk on the beach. Besides his delight in pulling my hair as we walked, it went pretty well. :) And much of our playtime was spent out on the deck of this condo, enjoying the breeze and the gorgeous view of the ocean.



You may have noticed that Ethan is smiling a lot in these pictures. It's obvious that he is really enjoying his time at the beach, but we discovered that he almost always smiles for the camera these days! What a ham...