Merry Christmas

Here are some photos from our Christmas festivities. Hope all of your Christmases were merry and bright. We love you!
Christmas Cookies!

Grandpa and Grammy Hesson and Uncle Tony came down on Christmas morning to watch Ethan open his presents. Uncle Tony also opened his presents at our house. We had breakfast together and really enjoyed our relaxing Christmas morning at home. Thanks for traveling down to see us! We love you! Ethan's favorite toy was the .50 cent punch ball I put in his stocking.

Opening presents. I think this one is actually Uncle Tony's. Ethan loved the paper!

More presents! Ethan made out with clothes, movies, and toys! Now the task will be to find a place for everything.

Jared surrounded by presents. Grandma and Grandpa Krause were very generous.
Family Christmas photo.

My boys! Being silly as usual!

Ethan and Nathan playing with their loot at Grandma and Grandpa Krause's.

New Things

Ethan is learning so many things so quickly. Thought I should blog about them for those of you interested in what he's doing these days. In the last week he has learned the following, "bye bye" accompanied wtih a wave (for the longest time we couldn't seem to get him to wave, now he likes it a lot), if asked "Where's your belly?" he will point to his belly button and laugh, he can climb the stairs very quickly and with much coordination (any tips on teaching him how to get down would be much appreciated), with a little step (usually mom or dad fill in for the step) he can climb onto the couch, and today he figured out that the fork I always give him is for putting food into his mouth (he had trouble stabbing it himself, but with a little help figured that out too). Not much when you think about what you do everyday yourself as an adult, but for him these are major milestones. Every parent says this, but he's so smart!

Funny Motherhood Story

Yesterday in church, Ethan was taking his little cat nap. Jared had him, but had to pass him off to me in order to count how many people were in Sacrament meeting. Not his normal job, but he was filling in. During the pass off, I was so happy he stayed asleep that I sacrificed a little comfort for myself. Well, he began drooling and before I knew it, I could feel drool running down my chest and into my cleavage. Totally hilarious and awkward! I couldn't wipe it off because Ethan was in the way and still asleep and the people around me would probably be very concerned. It continued for about ten minutes until he finally woke up! I had to laugh, but contained myself to produce a silent, body shaking belly laugh. The joys of motherhood.

Okay, this is the last one for today, I promise

Just a couple other photos that were super cute (well, any pic of Ethan is super cute to me; I'm his biased mother). LOL!

Watching the Gator Game! SEC Champs 2008!

Playing in the leaves at Grandma and Grandpa Krause's Haus. He loved it!

Ethan loves to play in Sydney's beds. Last time we were at Grandpa and Grammy Hesson's house, he was hanging out in her kennel. This time, he found her daybed. When I tried to get him out, he threw a huge fit and got right back in the next chance he got. I guess it really wasn't hurting him, so I gave in. He loved it.

Baby Brooke

My cousin, Lauren, and her husband, Mickey, had their first child on November 30. Lauren was probably the cutest pregnant woman I've ever seen! Now she's a cute lil' mama. No pics of the proud parents, but here is little Brooke Riley Leth with her "Aunt" Andie. (I'm really her second cousin or is it first-cousin once removed?) She is soooooooo cute! Makes me even more excited for Stacey and Joe to have little Lyla; due in March 2009.

Naked Baby!

I just love my chubby baby. He is so cute, especially when he's naked and you can see all his little fat rolls. Here are some nude, but not inappropriate shots. Hahahahaha. Here's one in the tub the other night. Check out the mohawk!
Action shot! He kept running away (I wonder why) and hiding between the crib and the bookshelf.

Look at that cute little booty!

I'm so Proud! (Revised Edition--With Photo)

My Mama in her graduation garb. She's so cute. Look at that stylish mortarboard!

I just have to brag about my mama! After many years of going to school (part-time and full-time), working full-time, and raising a family, she is graduating with her Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from Flagler College this weekend. I know it wasn't easy for her and there were other things as a mom and a grammy she'd rather have been doing, but she stuck to it and achieved her goal of graduating from college before she turns 50. (Her 50th b-day is in February 2009.) She has always been an example of perseverance and hard work. Both my parents have strived to teach us how to be honest, caring, kind, diligent people. I am so grateful to be a part of my family and so proud of my mama!

So cute I just had to share them ...

Ethan loves to snuggle with Phoebe. I got a picture of the two of them today. So cute!
Okay, so I left Ethan's booster seat in St. Augustine, tonight we improvised and sat him on two pillows (covered with a towel) and used one of my belts to hold him in position. He scooted up to the table and ate like a big boy with mom and dad. Totally ghetto, but it worked!

We had spaghetti and chicken parmesan. Do you think he liked it?

Christmas is Coming!

Well, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Hesson's. I unfortunately forgot my camera, so no beautiful moments preserved in pictures. Last night, we bought our Christmas tree and decorated it. It's a pretty awesome tree, which we got at Lowe's. They had a great selection and it was pretty reasonably priced.

I got some shots of our decorations. Including our Elf, who comes to visit us the day after Thanksgiving and stays until Christmas Eve. He then reports to Santa whether we've been bad or good and deserve any presents. If you touch the Elf he disappears and you get no presents. He moves every night to a new location. (My mom did this with us and we seriously thought the Elf was real for a very long time. Aunt Teresa bought us our Elf last year.) Right now he's hanging out on our floor lamp.

I also got a shot of our beautiful stockings. My roommate from BYU, Nicole (with whom I share a birthday), made them for us. She sent mine and Jared's as a wedding present when we married in 2005. As per my request, she made Ethan's last year so we'd have a matching set. Hopefully she'll be so willing when more children arrive over the next several years: )

Now that we've taken photos that I actually like ... Ethan is 1!

Okay, so Ethan turned one a few weeks ago and we went to JC Penney's to take some photos to celebrate. I did not like how they turned out and groaned about it for awhile. We found out a friend is getting into photography and she agreed to do a second shoot for us. I think they've turned out beautifully. Check them out at www.blessedlittlefamilyphotography.blogspot.com
Thanks so much Angela!

Go, Go, Go

Yesterday I took Ethan to his 1 year well-baby visit to get a check up and some shots. (Boo: () While we were waiting, he started walking and running around the waiting room. While he walked/ran, he started saying, "Go, go, go" over and over again. It was so cute. There was a slightly surly teenager in the waiting room and his antics made her smile. He also saw a little boy about 9 that he thought was pretty cool. He went up to him and stared for awhile, then he just grabbed the boy's leg. I wish I had a camera to capture the little boy's face. He was certainly suprised and unsure about what to do. Pretty funny to watch how Ethan makes new friends. He's a healthy happy boy that gives high (and low)-5's, points, says five words (mama, dada, go, meow, and "gerber"--we don't know what that means yet), can walk and is learning to run. He has at least four bruises on his head at all times and is our comedic relief. CAN'T believe he's 1!

You sound like a bunch of Mormons!

Funny story... Jared and his brother, Kevin, are in this course together at UCF that is called Cornerstone. It is a requirement for anyone majoring within the school of business. All semester they've been working with a team of people, Bernardo, Sam, Yolexa, and Pedro. They are providing a teacher's appreciation breakfast for Ventura Elementary, where they've been working with teachers and students in the Junior Achievment program. With the economy how it is, they haven't been able to secure as many donations as they needed, so I offered to bake pumpkin muffins for the breakfast. Jared also got his mom to commit to making some muffins as well. He and Kevin were informing the group of this and Sam blurted out that they sounded like a bunch of Mormons. Jared happily informed him that we are Mormons. He and Kevin thought it was so funny. Sam was a little embarrassed, but it turned into a missionary experience for them. He's even going to give Bernardo, who is dating a LDS girl, a copy of the Book of Mormon. Just thought I'd share how awesome Jared and Kevin are for being such great examples.

Fun photos

Ethan looks like he's about to do something he shouldn't in this. I think he's just so cute in his sweater. Nice and cuddly!
Ethan helping Grandpa Hesson clean the floors. He loves to help out.

We love to party!

Well, we had a jam-packed weekend. After Halloween and all its festivitities, Ethan and I went to St. Augustine and attended three different parties. Our first stop was for Jennifer Hesson's baby shower (my cousin Jimmy's wife). They are expecting their first child, Caiden, on December 1. You can see just how cute she is at their blog http://www.hessonhappenings.blogspot.com/

Our next party was on Sunday afternoon for my cousin, Lauren, who is expecting her first child, Brooke Riley, on November 27. I just love Lauren and it was a treat to see her again so soon (we went to the Gator game with her and Mickey about a month ago). We visited with all our cousins, which I never get to do. Amy and I commisserated on the fact that we are always out of the loop because we don't live in St. Augustine.

Finally, we celebrated Mom and Dad's 30th wedding anniversary (which is November 4) by hanging out and eating pizzas from Dad's outdoor pizza oven. Aunt Antje, Uncle Mike, Aunt Joanna, Uncle Mark, Aunt Teresa, Uncle David, Aunt Margo, Uncle Tommy, Stacey, Joe, Tony, Ethan, and I were there to celebrate. We had a great time and I am just so proud of my parents. Here's a photo we snapped of the Hesson family, complete with Sydney and Lyla (in Stacey's tummy). I love my family!

Happy Halloween!

Well, this is officially Ethan's second Halloween. Last Halloween was his first, but seeing as it was the day we came home from the hospital, it really didn't count. This year, he dressed up as a pumpkin and was so adorable. We joined his cousins, Kalia and Nathan, for some trick or treating in Lake Conway Woods. The residents there go all out! They have their yards totally decorated, which unfortunately we were too busy with the kids to snap any pics. Oh well, maybe next year. Jared and I also dressed up. He was a man from the 50's, complete with newspaper, robe, black socks to his knees, and house shoes. We tried a mustache, but it wouldn't stick long enough. I was Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter. Jared made the little crest for Gryfindor that is on my robe. We had a lot of fun going trick or treating and at Jared's boss, Kevin's, party. Here are some photos.

Family Halloween Photo.

Jared looking dapper.

Valerie, Tinkerbell (Kalia), Melissa, Cowardly Lion (Nathan), Hermoine (Andrea), and Pumpkin (Ethan)

Halloween traditionally hasn't been my thing. I'm not the most willing participant.

Not his costume, but still so cute. Aunt Valerie got Ethan this little Liederhousen (I still don't know how to spell it) outfit for his birthday. It's a 12-24 month, and it barely fits. Maybe next year, he'll be skinnier and can wear it for longer than a few minutes. He's our little German baby!

Birthday Party!

Ethan's First Birthday party was held at our home yesterday. Grandpa & Grammy Hesson, Aunt Stacey & Uncle Joe, Grandpa & Grandma Krause, Aunt Valerie, Uncle Dana, & Kalia, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Melissa, & Nathan, Uncle Brandon, Barbara, Jacob, Ella, & Sam Anders, and Mommy and Daddy were there to celebrate with him. Mommy baked all day Friday and you can see the results below. We had a pumpkin cake and little cupcakes. Yummy!Here's Ethan blowing out his first birthday candle. Although he knows how to blow out a candle, he got stagefright and Mommy had to help. Here he is with his little birthday cupcake. He is a little unsure at first and was totally Ethan about the whole experience. He slowly poked the cupcake for awhile, took a bite finally, and then devoured the whole thing. I love my cautious little boy. So cute!
Before and After shots of the cupcake: )Opening birthday presents. Ethan really made out. He got a lot of fun toys, clothes, and a Liedherhousen (pardon my very incorrect spelling of this traditional German garb) outfit. I still can't believe Aunt Valerie found it. But then again, the Internet is a wonderful tool! His new ball! He loves balls because they are fun to throw. I'm glad Grandma Krause was smarter than me and bought him ones that are soft!

Ethan doesn't seem to like his Liedherhousen hat, but Daddy does. Doesn't Jared look like an elf?Are all thesepresents for me?

Overall, it was a fun day. Ethan was totally worn out, but was a very gracious little host. It is almost unbelievable that he is a year old (well, on Wednesday)! The year has flown by. My skinny little baby is a chubby little toddler. We love him so much and are amazed at how much he enriches our lives. Here's to a wonderful year full of wonderful milestones. I'm sure next year will be even more exciting, but hopefully it won't go as quickly.

Pumpkin Patch with the Dawson's

Ethan went to the Hagerty High Pumpkin Patch with the Dawson's this week. He wore his costume which made for some super cute pictures. Carol bought him his own little sugar pumpkin and he loves it. She also said he wasn't too sure about the way the grass felt. He is so funny.

Timing

Okay, so I've been having this subject on my mind for awhile now. I won't go into too many details because a girl has to have some secrets: ) But it involves wanting to do things with one's life and not knowing if you should. I came across this article called Timing by Elder Dallin H. Oaks (an apostle of the LDS Church). Actually, my friend and boss, Michelle Inkley, sent me a copy of it last year when I was trying to figure out whether or not to return to work full-time. I read it then and applied what I learned and made a hard decision, but it was the right decision. I came across my copy of the talk last night and started reading it. So many things jumped out at me. For example, it's not about doing the right thing, it's about doing the right thing at the right time. So, although I'd love to pursue a PhD and that is a good thing, it's not the right thing, right now, etc, etc.
I have several friends and acquaintances that I have observed to be struggling with similar concerns. My friend Carol said that if you say yes to one thing, you'll have to say no to another. This falls right in line with what I was reading. I really felt like I should share the link to the article for those of you struggling with what to do with yourselves, where to go, what to pursue, etc. Enjoy and post your thoughts. I would love to hear them; plus what you say may be just want I or someone else needs to hear: )
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d02f74536cf0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

Best Friends

Phoebe and Ethan are best friends. Here they are playing at home. They play tug of war, fetch, and Ethan likes to just give her his food. Ethan laughs when Phoebe comes close and she always runs to his crib when he wakes up from a nap. They love each other.

"A Walkin Man Walks..." Updated with Pics!

My mom wants new pics, but I don't have any to speak of. I do, however, have a walking man on my hands. He has discovered he enjoys it, no matter how many times he falls. All day is spent walking, falling, standing up again, and walking some more. He can get to most places he wants by walking now. I am so proud of him! I try to help him by letting him hold my hand, but he wants to do it himself. My mom bought him a shirt that reads "Mr. Independent" and it is definitely true!

Like his Aunt Stacey, Ethan likes to hold the remote at all times.

I'm so excited, I think I'll burst! Don't you love the dinosaur camo jammies?I love watching him. His little body is so cute!

Laundry!

Ethan loves to help do laundry. He helps Carol out regularly and decided to show me his skills yesterday. I would fold the items and he would pick them up and put them in the basket. Once they were all folded and placed in the basket, it was time to take them out and roll around in them! We had a blast doing our laundry yesterday. Here are some pics I snapped. Also, for about a week and a half Ethan has been practicing his walking. He will do between 2 and 8 steps in a row. He's getting pretty good at it, but I haven't been able to get it on film yet. I'll keep you posted on his progress (no pun intended).