7 Months Old

Yep, it's already time for another monthly update. Here he's making his 7-month debut!

This is how mommy carries me and the laundry at the same time!

He sits very well on his own and at this point I'm thankful he's not crawling. We're moving these next two weeks and it's much easier to corral a non-crawling baby while we get things in place. I can't wait to get his room all fixed up and painted.

If you look closely you can see my bottom two teeth!

The big news this month is that he's got 3 new teeth! He cut the two bottom ones in one night and the third one on the top came in about 2 weeks later. The fourth is ready to pop through at any moment. I'm thankful that the process wasn't too hard on him. Apparently while he was teething he also had a double ear infection for 2-3 weeks. The only reason we knew he was sick is that he coughed for over an hour one night and we took him the next day. He's had a few moments of fussiness but nothing terrible.

He is the happiest little guy and laughs all the time. His good nature has been such a blessing to us and we can't wait to see how he grows and changes. Despite some "spitting" (or raspberries) while eating, he's doing very well with solid foods. We're down to 3 feedings a day with a bottle only at 6:30 before bedtime. We've also transitioned him to two naps a day and he goes to bed around 7pm. Okay, that's it for this post. We've got the car packed up and we're headed to the new house to paint. Next post should be pics of the house after we get our things put into place. Look for an update in a couple weeks!

Easter

I'm trying to play "catch up", so i'm going to put up a couple short posts so that I can upload some photos and get back to work on the house.

My Handsome Little Easter Dude

We enjoyed a beautiful easter day with familiy and friends. We started the day by attending Easter service at our wonderful new church. We really love our church and are so thankful that the Lord helped us feel right at home so quickly.

Checking Out His Easter Egg

Then off to lunch at Mom's house with the entire gang. We decided to have a BBQ and it was delicious. It was the first time we had fired up the grill since moving to TN. It's going to get a lot of use this summer.

We had all the cousins, except Kassie :o(

We also dyed eggs on Saturday with the cousins. Ethan wasn't able to do much other than hang out, but next year he'll be more into it. Okay, that's it for Easter...moving on!

Six Month Update

We just had Ethan's 6 month checkup and we're blessed to have found a pediatrician we really like. The doctor says he's growing perfectly and is right on track. He's 15 lbs and 14 ounces, measuring 27 inches long. He's wearing 6 month size clothing and I've got more clothing in this size than he'll ever be able to wear!

He is so much fun and each day is something new. We just introduced solid foods and he's getting used to new textures and flavors. It's a messy process, but we'll all get the hang of it soon. We're starting with cereal and moving to veggies next..here comes the green mess!

He's sitting up on his own well, but he's a little like humpty dumpty if he falls to one side or the other. Now that he can roll onto his tummy, he usually finds his way from his back to his tummy in the night. He can't roll back onto his back purposely, but he does it from time to time in his sleep.

He continues to be a great sleeper and we're truly thankful. He goes to bed around 7:30 or 8pm and wakes up around 8 or 8:30 am. This allows James and I to have some time together in the evenings and I can still have my quiet time in the morning before Ethan wakes up.

He loves sucking his thumb and that's usually our first indicator that it's nap time. He has also recently located his feet and now that winter is coming to an end I can finally leave his socks off from time to time. My sister said she thinks she saw his bare feet for the first time yesterday. He's such a happy little guy and has a great giggle. He laughs all the time and is just a joy to be around.

"Big Boy" Chair from Grammy

Teething is not far off....lots of drooling and chewing on his fingers and toys. The pediatrician says he sees indicators of things starting to begin on the top gums. I hope and pray that he doesn't have too difficult of a time when they start popping through.

Our biggest challenge and greatest blessing since moving to Tennessee is that James is not yet working. We did not think it would take this long for things to fall into place, but we got some interesting feedback last week. James asked for candid feedback from a financial placement company he's registered with and she said that his biggest hurdle is the fact that we're "not from here". Apparently people make assumptions based on where we're from and he may be being passed over just due to that fact. This week we've received a couple encouraging calls, so we remain hopeful and know that God will continue to provide for us.

The reason I mention this in Ethan's update is that we've been so blessed to have James home with him since we moved here. Ethan is very fond of his daddy and watches his every move. They're great buddies. I think it's going to be a big change for both of them when Daddy goes back to work. A GOOD change, but an adjustment nonetheless.

"Our" First Home!

What a blessing! We're in escrow on "our" first home. I emphasize "our" because when I met James he had some rental homes but they were all purchased prior to us meeting. This is the first home that we're buying together, for our family. (Hopefully, it'll be the last one for a LONG time). As many of you know, we originally purchased a lot here in TN and planned to build a home. However, due to the market changes, we can purchase a home for MUCH less than we could build at this point (not to mention we can purchase this home for MUCH less than we could purchase a 1-room condo in CA). Plus, building is a huge undertaking that we're not sure we're ready for. We'll see what the future holds, but for now we're keeping the lot and may build later.

View From The Street

The house is set on just over a half acre and as you can see, it is situated toward the back of the lot. I like how it's situated because it allows you to really see the house when you drive up. People do not landscape here in TN as much as we're used to seeing. I think that's because the lots are so big and there's a lot of natural green around the houses. The current home owner enjoys landscaping and has done the front and back of the house. As you can see in the photo below, the drive way is lined with Bradford Pear Trees (non-fruit producing) from the street to the house, as well as the other side of property line as well. They get these gorgeous white blossoms in the Spring time.

View From Top Of The Driveway

We are very excited that our house is only 10 houses up from the river (which also happens to be 8 houses up from my parents). From my parents from porch, you can watch the river. Through the grapevine, we've heard that the developer is supposed to put river access in our subdivision for boats at some point. We'd love to get a boat in the future and take advantage of that. One thing at a time!

Fire Pit, Raised Garden Bed, And Glimpse of The Fence

We hope to be able to plant a vegetable garden this Spring and enjoy the "fruits" of our labor before too long. Many people also do not put up fences here. Again, the larger size of the lots here make it costly to fence, and I think people just prefer a more open feeling. Thankfully, the man we're buying the house from enjoys a bit of privacy and has placed a nice, high fence around the entire back portion of the lot. Yeah!!

James' Domain, The Garage!
(and his riding lawn mower that comes with the house)

The garage is very tall and we're hoping to build some sort of storage loft into the front of this front area. James is excited to have a garage where he can unpack and use all of his tools again. Our project list is growing! Just for the record, I plan to also learn to use the riding lawn mower. However, my brother-in-law is convinced that I'll do it the first time for "fun" and that James will take care of it from there. I'll update later and tell you if he's right :o)

View of The Back yard

The backyard is quite large and we're looking forward to getting a small pool for Ethan & my niece to use this summer. You can see a couple trees in the picture, but there are several planted across the back of the fence as well. The current owner just put in a few peach trees for us too. James says it's the perfect size backyard for a lab, but I don't think that doggies are in the immediate future.

The Screened In Porch

Since we're from California, we're used to spending a lot of time outside when it's warm. Unfortunately, TN brings lots of bugs in the summer. A screened-in porch is the best of both worlds and we foresee being outside a lot when the weather allows. It also allows us to enjoy the outdoors when it's raining. This is one of our favorite features and we are feeling very blessed since most of the houses in our price range do not have the screened porches.

My Little Haven...or Should I Say "Heaven"?

The master bathroom is a dream come true. Honestly, it's almost exactly what we had our architect design when we had our original plans drawn up. What a surprise! In addition to this wonderful jacuzzi tub, there's a shower, "water closet" toilet, separate his/hers vanities (no more whiskers on my sink!), and 2, yes TWO walk-in closets. Not to mention the huge bedroom it sits next to. The house is only 4 years old and has only had one owner. It's in great condition and move-in ready. Our only changes will be style preference changes.

My HUGE Laundry Room!

Here you see our inspector checking out the laundry room. I love the extra cabinets, closet to the right and am very excited about the deep freezer that comes with the house as well (front left corner). I like to cook ahead and freeze things and be able to stock up when I see good deals at the grocery store.

View From The Bottom of The Driveway

A few more fun facts on the house. It's a total of about 2100 sq ft, has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an office/guest room). We also have a very nice dining room and kitchen. The kitchen is a bit small, but we hope to do a bit of remodeling in the future that would open the space up a bit. Again, one thing at a time. Many have commented on our front porch. We love the look of the house and the way the porch makes it so inviting. The two lots across from our house are empty and the view of the fireflies coming out of the trees in the summer will be breathtaking! I'll try to capture that in pictures this summer somehow. We'll update as we get closer, but we're scheduled to close escrow in late April.

New Tricks

Look who's got new tricks -- He can roll from his back to his belly, but unfortunatly hasn't mastered getting back yet.



He's also got a new sound, it's a low roar that we think sounds like a little lion.

A Little Playtime Fun

Here's a video of Ethan enjoying his exersaucer toy and making lots of chatter. He talks so much when he's awake, and even as he's falling asleep sometimes. We can't fault him for being talkative, he comes by that quite naturally. Excuse Mommy's voice in the background, I was trying to get his attention. Enjoy!

A Video Snipet

I've added a quick video clip of our little chatter box. I realize this isn't entertaining to most, but it is for grandparents who live in CA :o)

New Baby Pics

Our little guy is full of smiles and giggles these days. In this month's picture he's propped up in the corner of his crib as he's not quite ready to sit without help.

(Thanks Auntie Julie for the cool outfit!!)

He has entered the phase where he trys to put everything in his mouth, including repeated attempts to fit both hands in at once. He's the happiest little guy and everywhere we go he has smiles for everyone. He's very fond of his cousin Reyna and just lights up when she's around. He's started rolling from his back to his side, and just today we found him on his tummy when we heard him waking from his nap. Unfortunatly for him, he gets stuck on his belly (which frustrates him) until he learns to get that arm out of the way and roll back.

He continues to sleep through the night very well. He sleeps about 12 hours at a time. Yes, i've heard we're just "lucky" but, we put lots of effort into some good sleep training habits from the very beginning and it has really paid off. He began to sleep 8 hours at 10 weeks and quickly moved to a 12 hour stretch.

I've included the past two monthly photos since I was a blogging slacker for a while.
I couldn't resist the lips in this one!

He is about ready to outgrow this outfit that he was swimming in at 3 months. He's just started the 6 month sizes and i'm sadly packing away the 3 month sizes as they come through the wash.

Here's a picture of our "little man" in his jeans and button down shirt. No, I wasn't trying to match him with James. James' basic wardrobe is jeans and button down shirts.

(Thank you Plumb Family for the "big boy" outfit!!)

Playing Catch Up

My Tiny Valentine

So i've been horribly lax at keeping up with the blog and here's why. I was trying to update from Thanksgiving (my last post before our life went nuts with moving) and it's just too much. Forgive me please. We're now here and we've got a routine (sort of) so I just start from here with a quick look at the past couple months.

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours. I know, I know, so many people think this is just a Hallmark holiday but i enjoy it. I woke up to Eggs Benedict this morning and James and I are going to see a the Wednesday afternoon matinee showing of Riverdance. I've always enjoyed seeing them on television and there is a troup touring through Knoxville.

James is still looking for a job and has submitted several resumes. We are confident that God will provide. We like the townhouse we're in (except for the stairs), but are anxious to settle into a home once James is working. Please continue to pray for us to find a job soon.

A few people have asked when they get to see photos of our beautiful surroundings, and the truth is...it's not really pretty here right now. The price we pay for all the green is a barren winter. Lots of "naked" trees waiting to bud and bloom. I'll post some photos when spring arrives with some traces of green.

We've found a church home and we really like it. We even started a new Sunday School class last week. It's been nice to get to know people. We have a real peace that this is where we are supposed to be for now. The people are super nice and my parents like it as well. I even left Ethan in the nursury last week for the first time (I had NO idea how hard that would be)!

Okay, more later, but this is our update for now.

Thankful Hearts

We have much to be thankful for this year, and certainly too much to list in detail. In a quick summary I am thankful for a happy and healthy baby boy, a great marriage, a wonderful family, countless blessings of friendship, God's amazing provision, and the adventure that we call life. May you reflect on God's goodness & all that He has blessed you with today.

Baby's First Thanksgiving Outfit

The Bottom of the Feet Say "Little Turkey"

And, of Course, With the Matching Bib :o)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !!!