All of my births were incredible experiences but Ethan’s birth was especially ecstatic. I will never, ever forget the intensity of those sensations. Morgan’s birth was painful. Abigail’s birth was, too, but it was more riddled with emotional obstacles than it was with pain (not saying it didn’t hurt!!!). Ethan’s birth had painful moments but the overwhelming thing I walked away from that birth with was the memory of pleasure. I’m not talking orgasmic birth, here, I have never experienced that for myself. But after Ethan’s birth, I’m completely convinced it’s possible. Emotionally, it was the most satisfying birth I’ve had. Physically it left me feeling exhilarated and exultant.
My favorite memory from his birth was when his head was born slowly into my hand. There is nothing I’ve ever experienced that can even touch that moment. It was like standing with one leg on either side of an indescribable rift. One foot in “we are one” and one foot in “we are two”. The experience was nothing short of Magic.
Everything about his birth makes me smile when I think back on it. There was never a moment of uncertainty or fear. Never a moment where I felt overwhelmed by what was going on. Only happy and excited (ok, there was that bit where I was afraid I’d have in the car…lol). I really enjoy hard work and I’d put childbirth at the top of that list, lol. My friends were there. My children were there. It was just…right. Perfect. Glorious.
The little person born into the world that day is such a gift. Ethan is that baby that makes everyone smile. People that don’t even like babies can’t resist him. He’s charming and sweet and a TOTAL flirt! I remember, when I first lifted him from the water, being completely shocked at how beautiful he was! I mean, of course all my babies were beautiful, every mother thinks so, but let’s be honest here: my girls were bald-headed little prune faces! This little guy came out with a full head of dark hair and the most perfect little face ever. He was just lovely to look at. He had (and still has) these huge little man hands and these precious little wrinkled toes. He’s still got a full head of hair (though, while it’s still brown, it’s not nearly as dark) and the most delicious smile EVAR!
Now he’s a chunky-cheeked, thunder-thighed little toddler. He’s WALKING. He’s climbing steps (OH NO!). He laughs and squeals and just seems to totally love being here. He adores his sisters like no one else on earth. In fact, today, they were playing with a neighbor across the street and I eventually had to take him in because he just would NOT stop trying to follow them!
I can’t even believe how much he’s grown. He is by FAR my largest baby. None of my kids will ever top the charts but he’s got his sister’s beat! He only weighs a couple of pounds less than Abigail (who is 3yo!!).
Anyway, what’s he up to these days?
As I mentioned Ethan is officially walking. He’s only been really doing it for a little over a week and he is SERIOUS about getting good at it. He also just learned to climb the steps. And I don’t mean he gets up a step or two and is all proud of himself. I mean one second he’s in the living room and in the time it takes me to change the trash bags he’s all the way at the top, the sneaky lil bugger. This ies a skill he only JUST learned Sunday. The very first time he tried it, he made it to the top. *shudder* I admit I’m not really exited about it but HE sure is!
He says “Mama, “Hi” and “Dadda”. His Mama is clear but repeated (Like “Mamama, Mamama,”) and he typically only does it when he’s REALLY wanting my attention (as in whining because he’s tired or hungry or upset that he’s in “jail” behind a baby gate). His “Dada” I’m not entirely sure of. He definitely knows Dada is Tony and he def “talks” about his Daddy and refers to him that way…but it’s also his favorite noise to make so he says it a lot even when he’s NOT referring to Daddy. And “Hi” is new. The first time I heard him say it was yesterday. I said, “Hi Baby Boy!” and he waved at me and said “Ha! Ha? Ha!” He did the same thing several times today, too, including greeting Grammy that way when she came in the door. She was very pleased with that greeting!
Waving hello and goodbye is not the only sign he makes. He also makes the potty sign when I make it to him and will pat his mouth when you ask him where his nose is (NO idea why, but it’s funny!). I’ve been working on signs with him just this week because he’s very textile that way and where Abigail had ZERO interest in signing, Ethan seems to prefer it.
He has four teeth and is working on two more, though he has the worst time of teething of all my kids. Really, it makes him miserable. The girls would have one or two rough days, I’d think there was one coming in, then there’d be nothing and then a week later they’d have four new teeth. NO JOKE. Ethan has rough days and then more rough days and then MORE rough days and then…there’s a tooth, just barely, through the surface. Rinse, repeat.
He elephant walks when he’s crawling outside. He doesn’t like the way grass OR cement feels on his knees so he takes off on his hands and feet. He’s quite fast and lately, he goes from elephant walk, to standing, to walking, without any assistance from stationary objects.
I think I might have mentioned his incredible smile. Really, with those chunky apple-cheeks, he’s giving the Clause a run for his money.
He LIKES women. I mean, I know he’s a baby, but someone needs to tell Ethan that. Women coo at him and he gets all coy and bashful and starts peeking at them from behind his lashes *just so*, smiles, buries his face, does it again. It’s shameless flirting, I tell you!
At last check he weighed over 20lbs and I don’t know how much he’s at now but if it’s under 22-23 I’ll drop dead. He wears 12-18mo sized clothes, except in pants. One thing he shares with his sisters is being rather short. So pants are often too long on him and 18mo sized sleepers are ridiculously too big. But he’s a serious chubster so 18mo shirts fit him the best.
He is not the cuddler the girls were so when he does get all snuggly, it’s particularly heart-warming.
His favorite game is Peek-a-boo. And none of that hand nonsense, I mean, whole body peek-a-boo. He loves it when we get behind something we can both crawl around, like a park bench, the table or a chair. He peeks his little head around and we go “Boo!” or “RAH!” and he laughs and goes to the other side. His second-favorite game is mimicking what people do. Like, banging on the table, making silly noises or shouting “RAH” or SCREECHING with his sisters (NOT my favorite game!) He especially likes to play this game with Morgan. Nobody gets full belly laughs out of him like she does. He simply ADORES her.
And the girls adore him right back, sometimes more enthusiastically than he appreciates. Tonight when trying to sing him Happy-Birthday, he kept reaching for his cake. He couldn’t actually reach it but Abby didn’t realize that and kept gently pushing him back in his seat, fearing he’d burn himself on the candle. She was SO intent on keeping him safe that Tony had to get quite stern with her to get her to stop “protecting” him and by that time he was crying and poor Abby was upset because she just didn’t want him to get hurt. They love him to death and are both very protective of him. They share all their food with him, fight over who gets to feed him, who gets to “find his bottle”. Abigail tells ME what he is and is not wearing on a daily basis and they beg and plead for him to join them in playing with their friends (impossible!), bathing, really, anything they are doing. It’s precious!
All in all, this family would totally not be complete without him. He’s like our Baby Beefcake Mascot. He greets everyone of us with a huge, sparkling grin and outstretched arms. Even my MIL can’t come in the door and stay sour, even on her most difficult days. He really seems to have a special love for her and she responds to it helplessly like the rest of us.
So Happy Birthday, my precious little one. We don’t know where we’d be without you. You’re like a tiny, chubby little Sunbeam in our lives! We love you, Baby Boy.
