For Grammy

Hey Grammy! This is me in my new fancy houseshoes you got me. Mommy told me how you didn't believe I would keep them on, but I've been running around in them and loving it! Thanks for the cozy bears keeping my feet nice and warm!

Christmas Day 2008

this was the best Christmas ever!

another way to be served from the car

no need to leave his car since his daddy will serve him in it

he preferred sitting back and watching the excitement

Cousin Reagan made the biggest haul from Santa

This is what Santa brought for Ethan!

Christmas morning was fun with Ethan. Santa brought him all kinds of goodies and this was his big gift which we now cannot get him out of. He sits in it to watch tv, to drink his juice, and just to have a seat sometimes. He didn't really get into the gift opening, but once you tore the paper off his face would light up and he'd go "oohhh". So cute! We had a big time putting together his gifts at my parents' and we've been playing hard with all of it ever since.

Christmas Eve 2008

Ethan with his new toy and cousin Garett

Nonie with squirmy Ethan and cousin Garett

Ethan with his Grammy

Ethan with his cousin Madison

ethan was less than thrilled to be woken early from his nap to get strapped into his car seat...he didn't care that we were taking him to get toys!

As is tradition, we spent Christmas eve in Plumerville with Brandon's family. Ethan still doesn't get into the opening of gifts, but he wants to play with them IMMEDIATELY. So we had a good time ripping things out of boxes before I even had a chance to register who gave him what. Lots of fun though to see him running around with all the cousins having a big time.

The last few weeks

santa ethan loves his firetruck!

this was the best we could get for the Christmas cards

No need to waste money on lots of gifts....I just love to play with trash :)

These last few weeks have FLOWN by, it's hard to believe Christmas has already come and gone. Ethan was not very cooperative for a cute Christmas picture because he was scared pf the Christmas tree, so I had to trick him by putting him in his firetruck near the tree. But he was full of it that night and wouldn't be still.....so we took what we could get. Don't worry though, the fear of the tree didn't last....we've spent the last week no-noing him for shaking the branches. Good thing I chose not to decorate the bottom half just in case!

Merry Christmas from the Grays

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Daddy got a new toy

Look what daddy got just in time for the end of deer season and before he gets to go duck hunting. Just what every man needs! He was so excited to come home and show Ethan. Luckily we got these pictures before the engine was cranked up b/c after that, he wanted nothing to do with it! I know they'll have plenty of time on it for years to come.

Thanksgiving 2008

this is how we finished our lunch out there, redneck kid b/c it was so dang hot!

in Papaw's fishing hat

this is his sweet face, like he's not doing anything wrong

could the excitement be more obvious!

Better late than never I guess....since it's been long enough that my husband is worried about my lack of blogging. We didn't take many pictures of Thanksgiving this year, but we did get some of Ethan playing out at Uncle David and Aunt Cindy's house in Plumerville. He played with his Papaw Terry outside for a LONG time....on the playset, and then driving his car and adjusting every setting. Thanks Papaw for entertaining me!

Tis the Season

Brandon and I have decided to not put ourselves on the Christmas card we send out this year since noone really wants to see us anyways...and we don't want to be seen. So I bought these reindeer headband and santa hat for Ethan to play with and maybe use for a picture and we let him play with them tonight while we were cooking dinner. So fun!

Happy Thanksgiving

This is what I found with Ethan's stuff at school on Friday. I gotta say, I laughed out loud when I looked at it. It's the cutest thing they've made so far....but of course for Ethan, the picture was taken when he had the frankenface stitches, plus a busted lip from tripping that day at school, and he has sleepy eyes. I will keep this forever! (they even laminated it for me)

Hat Fun

this is his gangsta look

hey daddy look at me!

ha ha...i'm so funny!

Ethan has NO desire to wear anything I put on his head. Even if it's 40 degrees outside and freezing winds, he's not having that hat on his head. But for some reason, my baseball cap is big fun. He found it tonight on the counter and was having the biggest time playing with it. I was shocked it lasted so long on his head, but it provided 20 good minutes of entertainment for him and us!

Welcome to the World of Tubes

It seems everyone I know who has a child these days has gone through tubes. We have been EXTREMELY blessed that our next door neighbor is an ENT and he has kept a steady watch on Ethan's ears for the last year. He did really well the first 6 months, but since then has basically had infected ears continuously. We decided a few weeks ago to go ahead and get tubes, then had another 2 infections to help confirm our decision in the meantime. He just got them on Tuesday, but I SWEAR his balance and his "speech" is already improved....so I bet we have a chatterbox anyday now. Odd pictures I know, but we didn't go into surgery with him since it lasted 2 minutes, so this was afterwards when we treated him to a make-a-face pancake at IHOP. He mostly just ate the banana...maybe next time!

15 Months

I'm a little late on posting these, but Ethan turned 15 months on Nov 9. It's hard to believe how much he is still changing so quickly! At 15 months Ethan:
-has 12 teeth and we're pretty sure another couple are coming in right now...as you can see from the pic it's starting to look like a full mouth!
-weighs 28 lbs.....85% measures 32 3/4 inches......90%, so he's really slimming up and losing that baby chubbiness.
-favorite word : uh-oh
-favorite trick: waving bye-bye whether you're coming or going
We are having so much fun with this little man. Watching him grow and learn and understand more everyday. He's really catching on to things and mimicking us, so hopefully being parents is making us be better people so we can be a good example for him to follow.

First Leaves

After a weekend full of hunting, Brandon came home to find our neighbor and his 4 boys outside working on their yard of leaves. We removed 90% of the trees around our house, so we don't have nearly the piles of leaves as everyone else in the neighborhood, but they tend to blow down into our yard anyways. So Brandon, Jason, and all the boys worked together on the front yards getting a small head start before the next leaf dumping. It was Ethan's first time to play in the leaves and with a rake, so he had a big time!

Saturday in Plumerville

Brandon and his cousin Paxton spent the weekend hunting and playing on the farm on top of the birthday party and such. They decided to take out the deer stand that was out on the farm. It had been there for about 8-10 years, but the guy who built it was not welcome to hunt out there anymore, so one easy lift with the front-loading tractor and it's history! Then on the way out of town, Brandon saw this fine sign outside the gas station right by the interstate. Not only to choose the wrong phonetic of "accept" but then to spell that wrong as well! Only in P-town.

Madison Turns 5

Baby Garett, Papaw Terry, Madison, Grammy

Papaw Terry with the birthday princess, baby garett and jealous mr. ethan

On Saturday afternoon we drove out to Uncle Jared, Aunt Brandi, and cousins Madison and Garett's house for Madi's 5th birthday party. We had so much fun celebrating with everyone and getting to see the family! Ethan loved the chocolate cake, he just kept opening his mouth like a little birdie!

Ready to Climb

On Saturday morning, Ethan decided it was time to get on top of the coffee table. He pulled over his drum and stepped up on it and the next thing I know, he's crawling around on the table top. Oh....I know this is just the beginning of getting onto everything, but he was so proud of himself! :)

My little Elmo

Ethan LOVES bathtime...but with his stitches....my wonderful Doc-next-door told me not to get it wet for the 2st 2 days. So we waited til sunday night to give him a bath, which he really needed b/c his wound did not stop him from playing any harder. Daddy thought he was so cute in his elmo towel, that he had to catch a picture. I promise he was smiling and having a good time....just making a funny face in this pic.

1st Stitches

look at me! i got 4 stitches! yea!!!

proud to show off his battle wound

sleeping it out...this is how Ethan gets to feeling better :)

Last Friday Ethan and I were having our morning routine where he plays in our room while I get ready for work. He had his milk in his hand, and unfortunately he inherited my clumsiness b/c he lost his balance and tripped into one of my dressers. The drawer handle hit his little head just right and split it open. So I panicked, called 911 b/c his head was bleeding and it's my first real emergency! The firemen and EMT's were here in less than 5 minutes and Ethan was just playing with them and being so excited to have his new friends there. They said he looked fine and it was up to me if I wanted them to take me to children's, go on my own the children's, or just go see my pediatrician.....so we did the latter. Dr. Paulus said he needed stitches because it was in his hair line and it would heal up perfectly....so there you have it...Ethan's 1st scar. (1st of many I'm sure)

Ar v. Tulsa...Homecoming

Thanks mimi & papa for a fun day at the game!!!

Since Homecoming was an early afternoon game, we decided to all go to the game as a family...including the kids. Ethan and Reagan did wonderful....Ethan finally required a nap at 4th quarter, but he was a real trooper. And as always, had a blast with cousin Reagan. The tail belongs to Ethan's new "monkey-on-my-back" backpack that doubles as a way for me to keep a hold on him. It was a toy instead of a help to mommy!