Potty Training Already!

ETHAN is such a sweet little guy. He has already picked up several words and I have taught him some sign language too that has really increased his communication skills. He has even come up with a few signs of his own. In the last few weeks he has been patting his hip right at his diaper when he comes into the bathroom with me or when he is about to fill his diaper. He has also wanted to put toilet paper in the toilet and help flush it. So a few times we have actually let him sit on the big potty when he has done this sign. And Saturday, he actually went when he was on the potty! Wahoo! Chad got sprayed, but we are thrilled that he is so interested so young! (15 Months) Bryan wouldn't even sit on a potty unless forced until he was 2 years old. Wouldn't it be great if Ethan could be potty trained by 2?!

Puppy Has A Name!

WE picked up our puppy last Thursday. After several days of debate over what his name should be, we finally decided on...CHOWDER! Chad likes it because it reminds him of his favorite food from Cape Cod and Bryan likes it from his favorite cartoon. So everyone is happy. Chowder seems to enjoy his new home very much and has not stopped marking his new territory since arriving. We bought him a little stuffed animal to keep him company while we are gone during the day (and so he will not chew everything in sight), but little Ethan seems to like it very much too. We have had a few issues with them playing tug-of-war with the mouse. Ethan will walk by and pick it up, then Chowder comes bounding over and nips it out of his hands and runs back to his bed. Then Ethan will run back to the dog and grab it back. It is utterly comical to watch! So far they both seem to like each other and Bryan is absolutely in love with him. So far, so good!

Leaves and Puppies!

OUR leaves changed around here and it was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous...for about 2 days! The day after I snuck outside to take these pictures, they were all on the ground. Mr. Ethan would NOT let go of his cup for anything, nor would he smile, so these are the best 2 shots of him. Oh well!










We are getting a puppy! We went Monday night for Family Home Evening to Tri-County Tech to play with the animals that are up for adoption. We tried big and hairy, small and jumpy, and then we found one that is just right! He is a 10 week old puppy...mutt, but cute! We are still trying to pick a good name for him...and we're open to suggestions! He gets to come home with us next Monday or Wednesday, so we've got a week to figure it out!

More Fall Festival Pictures

Here's a few more pictures from the Fall Festival. I finally got the ones with Ethan uploaded. He made an adorable lion! I had been working on his costume for a while, but I finished it literally as we were walking out the door. He didn't even get to try it on until we got to the church. Talk about cutting it close!

This is Ethan with his friends Liza and Mae that he plays with when Mommy is at work! Liza is the candy corn (Ethan was enthralled with her pointy hat!), and Mae is a ballerina!

Bryan really was excited about his costume...until he realized he couldn't eat, sit, or even carry his pumpkin! BUT, he was a very handsome robot!

CHILDBIRTH is an interesting thing. When I had Ethan, Bryan was 8 1/2. You learn a lot of things when you have your first child that you tuck in the back of your mind to do differently with the next child. It had been so long, those things were long forgotten. This was truly starting over! I had it all planned out: We went to the classes, we were going to have a doula, I was NOT going to labor lying in bed hooked up to monitors, I wanted to feel refreshed- not drugged after having him....YEAH RIGHT! So we get to be a few weeks before the due date and he is measuring so big that my doctor is already speaking of inducements. But he hasn't dropped. A week before: same story. The due date August 20th): same thing. But now the doctor is worried that he won't come naturally because he is so big, so he insists on inducing me. I went into the hospital the night of the 22nd of August (which just happened to be the day school started.) and they hooked me up to all manner of wires and tubes and started the Cervidil (because he STILL hadn't dropped and I STILL wasn't dilated!). I think that was the longest night ever! I did not sleep at all despite the Ambien and I was constantly back and forth to the bathroom thanks to the IV pumping fluids in me. By morning I was barely starting to dilate so the broke my water. They had me hooked up to monitors because his heart rate kept fluctuating and I was not allowed to stand, walk, hardly even sit up. Did I mention that he STILL had not dropped? I gave in an got an epidural noonish, but it didn't take very well. My left side was numb, but not the right...so they tried again....still not so good. Finally about 3:00, the dr comes around and I am finally fully dilated...BUT, he still hasn't dropped. Dr. Stoddard says it's time for a C-section since he's not budging and the heart rate is fluctuating. That was the last thing I wanted to hear!! Not much choice at this point though. They prep everything and take me in. They cranked up my epidural and finally got me numb enough to do the procedure....well, almost. They got Ethan out ok and he is healthy, but was definitely stuck in my pelvis! The epidural wasn't enough for the clean up though so I had to be completely put under...so much for feeling refreshed afterwards! I was pretty out of it the rest of the day (and it explains the stoned look in all the pictures). But we finally had our little (ok, not so little!) boy, Ethan. At 9 lbs 4 oz, and 22 1/2 in long, I'm just glad he got here! As far as my 'birth plan', maybe next time!

Fall Festival

LAST night was our ward's Fall Festival. Bryan has been having a VERY hard time deciding what to dress up as for Halloween. First, it was a headless man...you know where you build something up on your shouolders and stick your head out in the middle of the shirt and hold your head in your hands. Then he decided he wasn't going to dress up at all and that he was getting too old for all the 'kiddie stuff'. After we had the 'no costume, no trick-or-treating' talk, he was just confuzzled. So Chad helped him come up with the idea of building a robot costume. As you can see, it turned out very well. Except for not being able to fit his arms though the vent and not being able to sit down...OK, so maybe we need to reconfigure this thing before Friday night!

In The Beginning...

SO here I am, finally succumbing to the blog. I have resisted the urge for a long time, but I discovered I have been missing out. I have to admit I was very surprised at the number of friends who had already taken the jump/leap/dive into cyberspace blogging. And here I had thought I was on top of things.
I suppose for those of you with whom I had long since lost touch, I should give a life update. I graduated pharmacy school in December of 2000 with my then 1 1/2 year old in tow. We moved back to the Clemson area where I began honest-to-goodness work as a pharmacist at my dad's pharmacy (where I am still working). As life would have it, he became very ill that summer and was out of work for a year. So I learned very quickly how to run a business after only having my license a few months. The next few years flew by quickly!
Bryan grew up in many homes and for those families that helped take care of him I am very grateful! It truly takes a village to raise a child! Things didn't change very much for us until about 4 years ago I met a wonderful man and we were married about a year later. Chad and I have since added to our family a little boy, Ethan who is 14 months old now. We moved a little farther out in the country so we could have some room to raise our boys. Chad works for Wachovia (for now) and is working on his degree. I work part time at the pharmacy and am a full time Mom. Life is wonderful and we are so blessed!