Messy Milestones

Last night was a most eventful night in the Morrey household. Ethan had his first taste of food!! We gave Ethan rice cereal and he really seemed to enjoy it. We don't know how much actually made it into his tummy, since his bib was soaked, and much of it ended up all over the place. It was quite fun, though. We captured the first few bites with our camcorder, which shortly ran out of batteries. Ethan didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do at first, but soon freely opened his mouth for us (as photographed below). He also loved to try to grab the spoon, thus making his cereal splatter about. He seemed pretty excited about the experience. His little legs were dancing in his seat and he didn't seem to want to hold still (again allowing our floor and shirts to be fed as well).

This picture was taken when we were all done. You can see how his chin and bib got a good feeding as well.
Ethan has been getting pretty good at rolling over, though he only seems to want to do it when he wants to, not when you want him to. He has also started sleeping for 10 hours without waking up at night, followed by another 2 1/2-3 hours of sleep. (His mommy couldn't be happier to get in a full 7-8 hours again herself.) He hasn't been very consistant, however, with his daytime naps. It seems like taking naps is his least favorite thing. For the last two days when I put him down on his back for his naps, I return shortly after to check on him and he is sound asleep on his tummy (and this from a kid who doesn't care much for tummy time). The first time I found him on his tummy during his nap I woke him and turned him over, only to return minutes later with him sleeping on his stomach again. He hasn't done this at night though. Silly boy!

Update--Jen and Kyle got their car back yesterday. Yep, it was the fuel pump. It sure wasn't fun being stranded without a car for 4 days, nor paying the $660 to get it towed and fixed. Oh well, we're glad that's over so Ethan can visit his grandparents this weekend and show off his new tricks!

New Toys (for all of us, really)

Ethan got a few new toys this week. They're probably just as much for us since they provide two more places to put him and keep him entertained while we eat dinner or try to get other tasks accomplished.

His highchair isn't really a toy, but it did come with one, so I guess it counts. We are planning on giving Ethan his first taste of rice cereal soon. We are looking forward to this new adventure in parenting. Ethan really loves to watch us eat dinner, so perhaps he is trying to tell us that he is ready to taste new things. Here is his newest toy. It is called a Jumperoo. It has toys all around it and a revolving seat so he can get to them. It also has bungee cords so he can jump and exercise his legs. It has really been a hit. He especially likes the toys that spin.

We thought the expression capured in this photo was funny.

This photo was from a walk we took on Friday. Ethan fell asleep with his hat over his eyes (like a cowboy). Silly boy!!
For those of you that care, Kyle and Jen are doing well too (we know you really check this blog to see new pics of Ethan). We have had a crazy week though. We had our air conditioner and sprinkler system give us problems, and our car break down. Luckily the car broke down in front of our house. We're not quite sure what is wrong with it yet, but it looks like the fuel pump needs replaced. Oh well, such is life.

4 Months and Growing

Ethan had his 4-month checkup this week, and had a few firsts. He rolled over from his tummy to his back, and developed a fascination with his feet. He loves to grab his toes. For the last week or so he started lifting his feet in the air and smashing them on the ground repeatedly. Funny kid!

At his appointment, the doctor measured Ethan at 26.25 inches which puts his at the 95th percentile. At his last appointment he measured at the 90th. He now weighs 15 lb. placing him just above the 50th percentile (which is up from the 35th percentile where he was at 2 months). We can't believe how fast he is growing up and how small the new babies in our ward are in comparison. We just can't remember what it was like when he was so tiny.

Ethan has also been especially happy lately. He is such a joy we are excited everyday to discover what new things he is learning.

Ethan's First "Island" Adventure

Kyle's family has a cabin in Island Park, Idaho, near Yellowstone Park. We recently went with Kyle's parents to the cabin for a few days for some much needed R&R. We had a wonderful time and it was fun to experience it with our little Ethan (although long car rides are not fun to him).

Kyle and Grandpa Morrey had a good time fishing a nearby stream. Kyle can't wait to take Ethan fishing someday. By the looks of it, that day might not be too far away. Ethan can already hold his own rod.

You can't tell by this picture, but Ethan really liked his room in the cabin, although his room was really a closet. :)
Following are pictures of Jen and Ethan in front of Old Faithful. Unfortunately we missed snapping a picture of it when it was shooting higher. We went to get some ice cream and only returned to see the show was almost over. Oh, well.

Ethan didn't enjoy the car ride too much, though he did enjoy the entertainment we provided with his toys to help pass the time.
"Grandpa Morrey" took Jen and Kyle horseback riding one morning. It was beautiful and lots of fun, though we both got a bit saddle sore.

A highlight of our trip was Ethan's first piano lesson with Grandma Morrey. She taught him how to press down the keys. Athough it is probably too soon to tell, we think he'll become a musical genious.

Here's a pretty waterfall we snapped in Yellowstone, and a squirrel Jen fed an almond.

Tickle-Me Ethan

Ethan has learned a few new tricks this week. He started clicking his tongue today at church. It is a funny noise and quite loud. He also will laugh when he is tickled. Kyle also snapped a picture of Ethan in his bouncer trying to sit up himself. We can't believe how fast he is growing up!

I snapped this one of Ethan after coming back from a short trip to the post office this week. I though it was cute that both he and Goofy were using each other for support.

And now . . . here are some pictures from Ethan's most recent bath. Kyle and I realized the other day that we don't really have any blackmail photos of Ethan yet, so we decided to start collecting some. We hope they will be of some value in the future.

Ride 'em Cowboy!

Ethan loves to be held. He likes to be up high where he can feel like he is in the action. He's getting good at sitting on Daddy's shoulders (although he still does need a little additional support from behind). Before we took this picture, Ethan was holding on to Daddy's ear. We failed to get a picture of it, but still managed to get a few we like.

One of his favorite things to do while he is on Daddy's shoulders is slobber in his ear.

Ethan is growing up more and more every day. Lately, he has found more interest in his toys. They can keep him occupied for minutes at a time (for those of you with kids, you know that any time they are occupied is precious). Some of his favorite "toys" are his burp cloths. He loves to feel them with his hands and his mouth.

Just another one of his wild hair days. This is what happens when he doesn't get his hair combed after his bath the night before.

Ethan has a question...So it seems. One other thing: There have been two occasions when we have been either preparing or eating food while he was watching and he starts laughing. We have no idea what he finds so funny. The first time, Mom was just eating dinner, and he laughed whenever she took a bite. The other time, Dad was grilling some chicken, and Ethan thought it was funny whenever Dad put a new piece of chicken on the grill. His little laughter was a nice Father's Day present. He has such a hearty laugh for such a small kid.

Weekend at Grandma's

Ethan turned 3 months old on June 1st and got to spend his weekend not only with Mom and Dad, but with his grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, and great grandma and grandpa.

As you can see, although only 3 months old, Ethan is a very popular fellow. He is often fought over.