4 months

At least I took these pictures on the day he was four months, even if it took me over a week to upload them.  I also lost the "4" I used with the other two, so I had to come up with something else.

It's hard for me to think that 1/3 of Ethan's first year is gone.  How could it be gone already?  When did he get so big?  I miss my snuggly newborn.  Oh well, he's still adorable.

Here's what Ethan's been up to:

• Growing like crazy.  He weighs 13lbs 6oz and is 24" long.
• Working on tummy time.  He pushes himself around in circles and holds his head up really well.
• Sitting in the Bumbo.  He loves the Bumbo.  Here's proof that he's loved it for a long time:

Just napping

• Babbling.  He talks a lot (just like his siblings).  He says consonants every now and then, like the other day Elli was making farm animal sounds and Ethan threw in a few moo's.
• Getting kissed.  By everyone.  Michael has to give him multiple kisses a day or he gets upset.  Elli kisses him before bed every night.  With the giant cheeks of his who wouldn't want to kiss him?
• Enjoying getting out.  Instead of always falling asleep everywhere we go he's been staying awake long enough to experience the zoo, stores, parks, and seeing firefighters.

Overall this little guy is doing amazing.  We're happy this cutie is part of the family.

Conversations with Crumpets

Me: Do you want a nap?
Michael:  Yes I so so tired.

Lately Michael has been telling people what they can and can't do, and putting them in time-out.
Michael:  Ouch you hurt me.  I said you no hurt Michael.  Go to time-out!

Me:  Okay you can watch a movie.
Michael:  Frozen, Toy Story, Monsters, Brave!
Elli:  Anna Elsa!
Me:  Elli what do you want?
Elli:  Anna Elsa!

Michael:  Mommy you eat salad?  I have some salad, I just love salad!
I give him a bite and he spits it out
Michael:  No, I hate salad!  Mommy why you eat salad?

Michael:  Mommy you go running?
Me:  Yes, I'm going after you go to bed.
Michael:  No I don't sleep, I need to go running.

Me:  Elli who's you favorite?
Elli:  Jenna, Michael!

Me:  We need to go to the doctor.
Michael:  Michael see the doctor?
Me:  No, just Ethan today.
Michael:  I want to go to the doctor.
Me:  Well you can go next time, you have to go every year around your birthday.
Michael:  No I not go doctor.  Ethan go doctor.  Ethan get shots!

Michael sang the song 'clap your hands and shout for joy' in nursery
Michael:  Clap your hands and soccer ball!
Me:  What?  Soccer ball?
Michael:  Kick the ball!
Me:  No its shout for joy.  Clap your hands and shout for joy.
Michael:  No, soccer ball!  I'm right! 

Michael:  Hi mommy!  Change my poopy!

Conversations with Crumpets

Michael:  Daddy, you not open the door for Summer, Jenna, Mandy, I do it!

Michael:  We eat dinner, stop playing!

Michael:  We go swimming, stop playing!  Get dressed!

Melissa:  Hi Kim!
Michael:  No that not Kim, that mommy!

Me:  Elli who is this?
Elli:  Chunky Monkey!
Me:  Can you say Ethan?
Elli:  No, Chunky Monkey!

Me:  Elli what's your name?
Elli:  Michael!

Melissa:  What's your name?
Elli:  L. E.
Melissa:  Elli?
Elli:  E. L.!  E. L.!

Me:  Michael you're birthday is coming up soon, how old will you be?
Michael gives me a blank stare
Me:  How old are you?
Michael:  2!
Me:  How old will you be?
Michael:  1-2!

Michael and Elli had been fighting over some toys 
Me:  Michael tell Elli you love her.
Elli:  Love you Michael!

Elli:  Want kisses!  Mommy want kisses!

Me:  Ugh I can't do this anymore.
Michael:  Yes you can mommy!  You can do it.  You can do it mommy!
Me:  Why?
Michael:  'Cause you can do it mommy!  You really can!

Ethan:  Aww, ohhhh
Michael:  Mommy, Ethan is talking to me.
Me:  Really?  What is he saying?
Michael:  He's saying he loves me!

Me:  Michael are Elli and Ethan sleeping?
Michael:  Yes, they sleeping.
Me:  Are you sure Elli is sleeping?
Michael:  Yes, she so so tired.

Running Again

I am not a fast runner.  I'm not even a slow runner.  I'm a ridiculously slow you-should-just-walk runner.  That stopped me from running for a long time.  It also held me back from running long distances.

When I got pregnant with Ethan I decided I was going to keep running the little bit I did, which was a mile, two tops, sporadically throughout the week.  Sometimes I went two weeks without running (thank you morning sickness).  I had to stop when I hit my third trimester.  Everything was too uncomfortable and I was too freakin' huge.

Here I am now.  I've been running a lot, and longer distances, despite not being very fast at all.  Three Saturdays ago I found a free 5k and signed Josh and I up.  Poor Josh had to wait for me to catch up, but I ran the whole thing.  My time was 37:47.  I could have cried.  I really wanted to cry.  My worst time in cross country was 35 minutes, and that involved not feeling great at all and working really late the night before.  But I didn't cry.  I took the fact that I ran the entire race, even at an you-should-just-walk pace, to mean that I was ready to push myself more.

Last week I decided that I'm going to try and run a marathon on Jan 1st.  It's at the Olympic Oval.  You run for 5 hours around the track, so for some it will be a marathon, for others it won't.  I would like to try and run a marathon but I know I might not make it with my you-should-just-walk pace.  So I set out to find a training schedule.

Find one I did.  One night last week I was supposed to run 4 miles.  I found a route I wanted to take and set off.  It had me go through a neighborhood I've never been through before.  Well I got lost.  I knew I was too deep into the neighborhood and I hadn't seen the park I was supposed to run by.  After heading back towards the main road I finally found it.  I was ready to quit running, but at that point my legs felt comfortable enough that walking would have felt worse than running (plus at my speed it was basically the same thing, one just bounced my ponytail a little more).  I felt great when I got home.  After mapping everything out and trying to remember streets I had gone 5 miles, the longest that I've ever ran straight.

Last Saturday I ran a 5k my ward put together.  I was the third woman to finish!  Okay, okay, I was one of three that actually ran.  There were a couple that walked it.  At least that means my you-should-just-walk pace is actually slightly faster than walking now!  I didn't notice my time, and I really didn't care.  It was fun to just get out and run.

So this week, and many weeks to follow will be full of running.  If the marathon works out I would like to do the Salt Lake and Ogden marathon for sure.  There are a lot of races I would love to do, but running gets expensive, so we'll see.  For now it feels good to be running again.

Conversations with Crumpetts

To understand this one you need a little back story.  We have a few little play goggles to go with the toy work bench.  Michael learned it was more fun to put them on his butt and go around shaking his butt saying "I goggle butt!"
Elli:  goggles, goggles, goggles
Michael:  No Elli, they aren't goggles!  They don't go on your head.  You put them on your butt.  See, I goggle butt!

Josh:  Mommy's a bad influence
Me:  Michael, who is a worse influence, mommy or daddy?
Michael:  Ummm Michael!

We watched a Living Scripture movie about Nephi for FHE
Michael:  Nephi build a boat?
Me:  Yup.
Michael:  Yay!  He go surfing?
Me:  Not quite.
He's also been praying for Nephi to not get hurt by his brothers

Me:  Who is your favorite person?
Elli:  Elsa!
Me: Elsa?
Elli:  Anna, Elsa!

Me:  Michael do you want to wear your underwear or pull-up during your nap?
Michael:  Underwear pull-up.
Me:  Which one?
Michael:  Underwear pull-up!
Me:  No, you have to pick one.
Michael:  No, I want two!
Me:  Underwear OR pull-up?
Michael:  I wear my underwear pull-up.

Michael:  Look!  Batman riding a horse!
Me:  That's a dinosaur.
Michael:  Elli, Batman ride a dinosaur.
Elli:  Batman!  Batman!  ROAR!

Me:  Yo ho ho ho a pirates life for me!
Elli:  You ho, pirate me!

Michael:  I want syrup and butter!
Me:  You don't want a pancake?
Michael:  Syrup, butter, and pancake!

Goggle Butt

Yes, I'm revisiting goggle butt.  Mostly because Michael does it all the time!  Elli usually puts the goggles on her face, like any normal person would do.  Then Michael gets upset and grabs the other pair and tries to show her how to do goggle butt.  It's been a great source of contention in this house.  But he loves being goggle butt....

Potty Training

Disclaimer:  There is a lot of potty talk in this post

We are in the midst of potty training.  Well, we've been working on it for over a month now.  It's still a little bumpy, but we're mostly there.  Potty training has been....interesting.  Is it weird to say that I've had to grow as a mom?  Before I could easily go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted.  I grabbed the diaper bag and took off.  Unless a kid pooped I'd rarely change them when we were out and about.  Now I have to plan around more than just naps, I have to plan around bathroom trips.  It's not more difficult, just more thought required for everyday things.  Then there is the issue of separating the successes and disappointments on the potty from everything else.  When Michael would pee his pants after I'd asked him every 5 minutes for the last hour if he needed to go, I'd take it personally.  Instead of just changing him and reminding him not to pee in his pants I'd be upset all day that he wasn't getting it.  Of course the postpartum hormones and being locked in a bathroom all day didn't help.  I got over it after the first week, but I haven't had to deal with that too much as a parent until now.

Josh and I decided we had hit that point at the end of Summer where we were done camping (I refused to potty train in the Spring and Summer because of camping) and realized it was time.  Michael showed the signs, and he was getting there in age.  Plus he'll be the young kid in Sunbeams and I don't want him to be the only one not potty trained.  So we dove right in.

The first day I made Michael sit on the potty for 3 hours until he peed.  He watched Frozen, did puzzles, ate a sleeve of crackers, and had 3 sippy cups full of water.  Eventually he peed.  About a week later and making him sit on the potty for an hour after breakfast, he pooped.  We bribed him with a mashmellow every time he pooped for the first 3 weeks.  Now he gets a fruit snack every 10ish times he pees.  He has a sticker chart now and has to get 20 stickers, but we'll give him stickers for cleaning up toys and letting us brush his teeth without biting the toothbrush.  If he poops he gets a hotwheels car.  If he goes a full day without an accident he gets a small tractor (thank you Walmart!).  Lately we won't give him a tractor unless he pooped in the potty and didn't have any accidents.

Fast forward to today.  He rarely tells us when he needs to pee, but if we tell him to go every 2-3 hours he doesn't have an accident.  Most mornings and after naps he wakes up dry.  I've been leaving him in underwear for naps (when he takes them, I think he's been playing with toys and not napping).  He's never had an accident involving pee on the carpet.  Pooping is another story.  He's pooped in the potty a total of 5 times.  He holds it in and goes every other day now.  He thinks there are snakes in the potty when he poops.  Kinda funny, but very frustrating.  So every other day I have to clean poop out of underwear.  Luckily we have one of those flexible shower heads that reaches over to a toilet, so I just power wash it out and don't have to hand scrub.

Getting out has changed a little bit.  It took about two weeks but now Michael feels comfortable peeing in big toilets.  We took him out in pull-ups a lot at first (oh how I hate pull-ups), but luckily we don't have to anymore.  We've gone to the zoo and he doesn't have accidents the whole time we're there.

On a good note, Elli has peed in her little potty a handful of times.  I don't think she's quite ready for potty training, but hopefully soon.  I'd rather get it done in the winter when we really can't do much anyways.

On another good note, without the diaper Michael will continue to fit into his 2T clothes all winter.

He's spent many lazy days lounging in his underwear