Definition Please

Today while walking from the car Rene' made a comment that I think should go out to the world in competition to develop the most creative definition of her phrase. She said "I hate walking in melty mud" So I give it to you to leave a comment defining the term "melty mud".

Favorite Sound in the Whole World

As the previous post shows, Ethan is laughing. I've decided it is my favorite sound in the whole world. It just melts my heart. I can't believe how good it makes me feel to hear him laugh. That's part of the reason I've tried over and over again to record it. I want as many videos as possible to watch later, after he's moved on to bigger things (like crawling or walking or messing up the house). I want to catch as much of his life now as I can because it's already gone to fast. He's already 6 1/2 months old and boy how time flies. I'm just grateful for the new digital camera and computers. I can take as many pictures and videos as I want and it's all free. Chris and I have taken 3 times the amount of pictures in the last 6 1/2 months then we have since we got married 4 1/2 years ago. Of course, we didn't have a great camera and it was just the two of us -no cute kid to catch the smiles, snuggles, and laughs. Anyway, Ethan's laugh is my favorite thing and I just wanted to share.

Ethan Laughing

Finally after 7 upon 7 tries we captured Ethan laughing. Sadly it was to long to put on the blog so you get to see another recording. We have become quite skilled at hiding the camera to record him otherwise he will stop what ever he is doing to look at the camera.

Update

I think that it is a little sad when your mother posts more blog about your child then you do. So to avoid being sad I figured I had better post something. So here are some photos of Ethan. I took the above picture for Rene' and sent it to her at work.
Some people have asked us how big is he getting so in true redneck style he is knee high.
Or a little over 3 DVD's in length however you want to look at it.

For those of you who want to be more technical. He is 24" long and weighs 12lb. (I think)

Christmas Eve 2008

Ethan's first picture with Santa Clause in his cute reindeer pajamas. Plus our tree, Ethan's first Christmas ornament, and our ornament for this year (notice that it's a family, I looked far-and-wide to find one like this).

Thanksgiving

Here are a couple of pictures from our Thanksgiving. I know, it's almost Christmas, but better late then never. We went to both grandparents' houses over the weekend. It was great.

Chris skiing with Wii Fit at the Barlow's.

Here is the entertainment at the Morse's. The Wii, the computer, and the baby.
Below: Chris and Ethan worn out.

The King of the House

King of Dad

King of Mom

King of the Floor
(Ethan fell asleep under his toy. He's actually laying on his side.)

King of the Couch

King of the Chair

I never realized how much control a child can have over Everything! Ethan is definitely the King of our House. Everything centers around him: when he sleeps, when he eats, when we can go somewhere, if he's happy, if he's sad, even if the house gets clean. He's only 5 1/2 months and already he rules over us. It's been fun getting used to our new life. I'm just grateful that we have him, and that he's home and healthy. Here's to the King!

How you know you're a NICU parent

-babysitting costs you $1-2k a day
-you present your child’s wet diapers to the nurse as a prized gem to
be weighed
-you only get worried if your baby stops breathing for MORE than 20
seconds…
-you kiss plexi-glass goodnight
-you start to wonder if it’s possible to wash the skin right off of
your hands
-you find yourself making a phone call about twice a day, just to see
how your baby is doing
-all of the sudden, preemie clothes look huge…and you notice your baby
could share clothes with the stuffed animals she’s getting as gifts
-you get excited over ounces and cubic centimeters
-you begin to refer to non-preemies as “fat babies”
-changing your baby's diaper becomes a highlight you call your friends
and blog about
-you spend more physical bonding time with a breast pump than your
baby
-the blanket your child is wrapped in weighs more than she does
-you know people who have children in their stomachs who are older than
your child
-visiting your child includes surveillance cameras, being buzzed in
over an intercom, a few sets if doors, giving a code, and other steps
that make you wonder if you are seeing your baby or stealing the hope
diamond
-you know enough medical jargon to at least be a doctor on ER or
Grey’s Anatomy
-you start to wonder if babies can communicate with each other through
alarms on their monitors
-you wonder if you could somehow fit into your baby's isolet...because
it just looks so dang cozy!
-your child bundles up like an Eskimo every time you come to hold her
-your child’s foot could guide Santa’s sleigh any foggy Christmas
Eve
-you have a tendency to jam your knee into the cupboards at home trying
to turn on the water to wash your hands
-you have scolded your child for having too low oxygen saturation or
heart rate
-you sweat bullets when you change your child’s Kleenex sized diaper
-you look forward to the night that your baby’s cries wake you up
-you find yourself wondering if it’s petty to hope your child
doesn’t develop a toaster-head, when it’s a miracle she’s even
breathing!
-you see pictures of friends taking their kids to Build-a-Bear…and you
think you’ve spotted a good Halloween costume for your baby
-you can tell when a picture of your child was taken based on the color
of bedding
-you find out about cluster care the nurses are doing with your child,
to avoid too much interruption, and wished your parents would have taken
the same approach with you as a teenager
-people ask you if your child will need to pass a car-seat test to be
able to come home, and you just smile as a picture comes into your mind
of your baby and 4 of her friends from the NICU all sharing the same
car-seat.
-you have a running game of “steal-the chair” with one or more
nurses/respiratory therapists
-you have see angels wearing scrubs, and have looked through windows of
heaven by peering through the glass of an isolet

Rene's friend got this from a blog and we thought we would share.

November 22nd

Ethan just wanted to say, "Happy Birthday, Grandpa Barlow."
And his parents just wanted to say, "Look how cute he is!"

Time for Fun

These pictures were taken back in October (I know I'm way behind). I was bending over to pick up something when Ethan ended up on my back. This is his first piggy-back ride. There is a back view and front view.
This is Ethan's "going out" outfit. My parent's took us to dinner for mine and my sister's birthdays. He stayed in his car seat covered up and slept the whole time. It was nice to actually leave the house as a family. Thanks mom and dad!