Clapping and waving.

I apologize to everyone who reads this for not posting for so long. My mom and brother and sister went back to school today so I decided I've got to get back to it. My mom checks the blog every morning after she serves breakfast and before she starts hardcore into lunch. She has told me that pictures being up just makes her whole day. So... I'm going to be more consistent now.

I guess part of the reason I didn't blog much was because there wasn't a ton going on. It's pretty much just been business as usual here. Loren is working and doing school and I am teaching piano and voice lessons. Oh, and of course, being a full time(and then some!) mom and homemaker. (I used to not like that word, but when I break it down and think of it as "making a home" I've decided I do like it.) Ethan is continually growing up(He'll be a year in 2 1/2 months! AH!!!!) and making me wonder where the time is going. I have been busy making friends and doing some church things. We are still teaching Sunbeams(which I have mixed feelings about, I get overwhelmed sometimes, but it's fun.).

Ethan has figured out how to clap and wave! He also crawls like a champ and says "Ma" and "Mom". He babbles, "yells" and makes weird noises all the time. He has been doing this weird thing where he sucks in air and it sounds like he is choking or something. He's not, but it scares me to death every time! He's also figuring out how to eat more solid food. For a while if anything fairly solid was in his mouth he would gag on it! I bought some peaches the other day and gave him nickel sized pieces. He really liked them! Some of it still ended up on him, but he got most of it down. I also gave him a sliver of some string cheese and he liked that too. I think that one was harder. It stayed in his mouth for a long time then finally disappeared. I didn't see it on the floor so I'm guessing he swallowed it.

Ethan is so funny because he CAN stand. He just doesn't think he can. He will be holding on to something and let go. He'll stand there for a few seconds until he realizes he is standing. Then he plops down and starts crawling. I wouldn't have thought he'd be a cautious baby, but it seems he is somewhat. Oh, and the cats. Poor Zoey; she loves being right next to Ethan, but he loves to maul her! Sage keeps his distance. He'll be in the room with Ethan, but if Ethan notices Sage and heads toward him, Sage is smart enough to get out of the way. Ethan's favorite toys are any "toys" that he isn't supposed to have. I was using some scissors the other day and he was so mad that I wouldn't let him have them! He loves playing with the big spoons and other(safe) kitchen tools. He would do anything to get the computer keyboard! The electrical cords too. I have to keep any that we use blocked off from him. I have a box over one and I keep his stroller in front of another.

Eghck(Yeah, not a word, just a sound of exasperation.), Ethan sounds like he is awake. The pictures on here are just random ones from the last little while.