Enjoy the little moments!

The plan today was for Ethan to head to Mammaw and Papaw's while Ryan went to school, but somehow we managed to have the extra keys in Ryan's coat, which was in the car I was driving. Oops! No more leaving coats with keys in the car!! Ryan and Ethan hung out at home, and then Mammaw came to get Ethan and Ryan got some schoolwork done. I only worked 7-3 today, so we both went to pickup our little man after I got home. He was snuggled up asleep on Mammaw's lap when we got there. I picked him up and got to rock and hold him for quite a bit! It is so nice being able to cuddle with him like that! He is a lovebug, but often likes to be on the go when he's awake, so we have to enjoy these little moments with him!!

Can't nobody hold me down, oh no, I've got to keep on movin'...

Days at home are so nice :) It seems like we are always out running around doing something or another, and the happiest days for me seem to be when the three of us can just stay home and relax! Ethan and I got up and played for a bit, he ate homemade applesauce and oatmeal for breakfast, and then we made some cinnamon rolls for me and Daddy. Ethan went down for his morning nap super easy and I woke Ryan up after he slept in with the tempting thoughts of warm cinnamon rolls and his favorite Fresh Market blend brewing downstairs :) We just spent the day hanging out together and cleaning the house. Ethan, however, does not like to be contained. We were working on cleaning the dining room and kitchen and had some barricades setup around the family room to block him in. No matter what toys we gave him, he stood at the base of the barricade and howled for us to come get him. He always wants to be part of the action!! After we finished cleaning, Ryan played some Rock Band on his new 360. I even went upstairs and brought Ethan some toys to play with from his closet, which he doesn't see much. You would think having his own guitar and maracas to play music with dad would be super entertaining for him? Oh, no... he wants to be at mom's feet in the kitchen 'supervising' my cooking skills and trying to get into everything! I love my little boy. He is much more entertained by doors, the refrigerator, and the dishwasher rack. Why do we buy him toys?

Ethan had his first taste of one of those Zwieback toasts today. Who in the world names these kid snacks? Anyways, he really enjoyed it! I thought he would make a huge mess, but really it was just smeared on his face. He went to town and loved it!

No, I have not updated the blog. I am a slacker. Soon, very soon. :)

For now, a quick peek at Ethan's photoshoot at JCP. Deliveries coming soon! If you would like a certain size/shot, let us know!

Happy 1st Halloween!

I picked up an 8 hour shift today, so Ryan and I went to pickup Ethan at Mammaw's after we got home. He was super happy when we got there!! Mammaw had made us dinner (thank you!!), so we ate and then got Ethan dressed up in his monkey costume. We went over to Rich and Marla's to meet up with them and Grandma and Grandpa A. Ethan trick or treated with Grandma for his favorite, Sweet Potato Puffs! We hung out outside and checked out all the little trick or treaters, and then Ethan hung out with his cousins, Jack, Philip, and Mia for a bit. They decided to go walk around at some more houses, so we packed up and headed to visit Grandma and Grandpa G.

Ethan was very excited to show off his monkey costume! He even got to meet Grandma and Grandpa Hinger for the very first time - yay!! Ethan cruised and crawled around everywhere. Grandma Anne's brother Tim and Karen came in from Rhode Island, so he got to meet them, plus Dan, Mike, and Kathy! We had a lot of fun hanging out with the Hinger clan. Ethan was up WAY past his bedtime! We got him changed into his jammies, but he wasn't quite ready to quit partying yet. He was cruising around the family room, and Grandma Anne was chasing after him and Ethan LOVED it! He would cruise or crawl a few steps, turn around and look at her and start laughing, and then take off some more. It was so funny! He has just started doing this!

After we got home, Ethan was in the hallway with Ryan and started crawling away from him just like he was with Grandma Anne. He would crawl away, turn around and look back, start laughing, and then take off again. So cute!!

I am so excited! My new mei tai baby carrier came in the mail today! I have been anxiously awaiting it, and I absolutely LOVE it!! The fabrics are gorgeous and it is very comfy to use. Ryan even seemed impressed :) He was feeling better this afternoon, so we got out of the house to run to Northgate to do some returns and get a price adjustment on Ethan's shoes from The Children's Place. (BTW, I am so not impressed with http://www.childrensplace.com. It took two weeks to receive a package from them, which is way longer than I have experienced ordering anything elsewhere!). So, we got to try out the mei tai and it is fabulous!! I am very happy with my purchase! I got it from Sweet Slings, and the owner custom creates the carriers just for you. She even threw in a cover for free... so now, I really have 4 prints that I can use! Very cool and highly recommended!

Share the love...

Or share the illness? First me, then Ethan, now Ryan. Everyone stay away from our house :) Ryan stayed home to rest today... he's having chills and a fever now. Mammaw came to pick up Ethan and he had fun playing at her house!
I came home from work tonight to find my two guys like this on the couch. Love it!

Fall Festival at TCA

Ethan has been feeling fine and has not had any more fevers. He even slept through the night last night! We went to church this morning and then had lunch at First Watch, and stopped at Carter's to pick up some mittens for Ethan (thanks for the tip, Mandi!) Then went home to rest for a bit before going back out tonight. Our church had their annual Fall Family Festival this evening. We took Haley, Brianna, and Ethan and had a great time! The girls had a lot of fun on the rides. We had some treats, took a hayride, and the girls got their hair painted and went trunk-or-treating. Ethan loved watching all of the people, of course. We also got to see Aunt Lindsay and Shawn in his costume! It was great fall weather, but it got chilly so Ethan's new mittens really came in handy. He did really good keeping them and his hat on! He usually yanks his hats off :) We were there until the end, and everyone was ready to crash by the time we got home!