HOLIDAYS,

THANKSGIVING WAS A LOT OF FUN. WE SPENT TIME WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE FAMILY AND ATE ENTIRELY TOO MUCH FOOD. ETHAN EVEN GOT TO TRY SOME NEW FOODS ON THANKSGIVING, HE TRIED TURKEY, MASHED POTATOES, CRANBERRIES, STUFFING, AND SWEET POTATOES. IT WAS NICE THAT WE COULD PUT HIM IN THE HIGHCHAIR AND FEED HIM WHAT WE ARE EATING. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN  MUCH SINCE ETHAN IS STILL STRUGGLING TO EAT FINGER FOODS, AND WE AREN'T USUALLY EATING MUCH HE CAN HANDLE. THANKSGIVING ( ATLEAST AT OUR FAMILIES) HAS A LOT OF OPTIONS FOR SOFT EASY TO EAT FOODS .

I KNOW THAT EVERY YEAR ISN'T GOING TO BE SO EASY WHEN IT COMES TO PWS AND THE AMOUNTS OF FOOD SERVED AT HOLIDAYS LIKE THANKSGIVING, BUT THIS YEAR I TRIED NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT AND TRIED TO ENJOY THIS YEAR WITH LITTLE WORRY AS POSSIBLE.

THE NEXT HOLIDAY IS CHRISTMAS AND I CAN'T WAIT, FOR SOME REASON HOLIDAYS WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS SEEM SO MUCH MORE EXCITING. WE GOT THE TREE UP, STOCKINGS HUNG AND THE LIGHTS OUTSIDE UP. I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO  CHRISTMAS MUSIC FOR WEEKS NOW AND AM TRYING TO GET KEVIN IN THE MOOD. KEVIN DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I LOVE CHRISTMAS, I MEAN HE DOESN'T HATE IT BUT DEFINETLY DOESN'T LIKE IT LIKE I DO. I HAD TO BEG HIM TO PUT THE LIGHTS UP AND HAD TO DRAG HIM TO BUY A NEW TREE THIS YEAR.

WHEN I WAS LITTLE I REMEMBER HAVING THE BEST CHRISTMAS'. MY PARENTS DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB DECORATING OVERLOADINGS US ON GIFTS AND MAKING THE HOLIDAY FEEL SO SPECIAL. WE HAD OUR FAMILY TRADITIONS AS KIDS THAT WE STILL DO NOW AND I WANT ETHAN TO HAVE THE SAME THING.

I WANT TO MAKE NEW TRADITIONS FOR OUR LITTLE FAMILY AND I WANT TO MAKE IT FEEL SPECIAL FOR HIM. I WANT HIM TO BE EXCITED FOR SANTA, AND WANT TO SEE HIS EYES LIGHT UP AT HIS NEW TOYS. I WANT  HIM TO WAKE UP AND LOOK FOR THE ELF ON THE SHELF EVERY MORNING AND MAKE IT FUN. YOU NEVER GET THESE YEARS BACK AND CHRISTMAS ONLY COMES ONCE A YEAR, SO I WANT TO MAKE IT SPECIAL.

ETHAN IS STILL YOUNG AND MAY NOT CARE MUCH ABOUT SANTA OR THE TOYS YET, BUT THIS YEAR HE IS LOVING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. HE COULD SIT AND STARE AT OUR TREE FOR HOURS. WE GET TEARS EVERYTIME IT IS TIME TO TURN THE TREE OFF, OR WE WALK OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM.... I MEAN HE LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVES IT.

ALSO CHRISTMAS EVE WILL BE ETHAN'S FIRST TIME AT CHURCH.. I AM ANXIOUS TO SEE HOW HE DOES. HE DOESN'T SIT AND LISTEN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIMES AND I AM AFFRAID HE IS GOING TO BE A HANDFUL.  I DON'T KNOW HOW MY MOM DID IT TAKING ALL FOUR OF US UNDER THE AGE OF 7 TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY BY HERSELF, BUT IF SHE CAN MANGE THAT I LIKE TO THINK I CAN HANDLE ETH.

OUR HAPPY BABY IS BACK

ETHAN FINALLY IS GETTING OVER HIS "COMMON COLD" HE HAS HAD FOR THE LAST WEEK. HE HAS BEEN SNOTTY, COUGHING, FEVER, HAD A SINUS INFECTION AND PINK EYE IN BOTH EYES. HE WAS A MESS.  HE IS STARTING TO BE BACK TO HIMSELF AND WE ARE FINALLY GETTING SLEEP AT NIGHT AGAIN. ETHAN'S COUGH HAS ROBBED US FROM OUR SLEEP THE LAST WEEK AND IT HAS BEEN ROUGH WAKING UP TO THE ALARM CLOCK IN THE MORNING. WITH PWS YOUR BODY DOESN'T FIGHT COLDS WELL. IT IS ALSO VERY COMMON FOR A COUGH TO TURN INTO A SERIOUS CASE OF PNEUMONIA IN A MATTER OF HOURS. ALSO YOUR BODY OFTEN DOESN'T SHOW SIGNS OF ILLNESS THE WAY THEY SHOULD. WITH BOTH THEIR HIGH PAIN TOLERENCE AND THEIR SOMETIME ABSENT FEVER, IT IS HARD TO GAUGE HOW SICK ETHAN REALLY IS . THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ETHAN HAS BEEN SICK ENOUGH THAT I PANICED A LITTLE. I READ ALL THE TIME ABOUT PWS KIDS ENDING UP IN THE ER WITH PNEUMONIA FROM THE COMMON COLD AND HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE FOR THEM. SO I WAS THE OVER PROTECTIVE MOM TAKING HIM TO THE DOCTOR GETTING HIM ON MEDS AND REFUSING TO LEAVE THE HOUSE UNTIL HE WAS BETTER.

FINALLY WE HAVE OUR LITTLE HAPPY BOY BACK. HE IS SUCH A CHARACTER. IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS ETHAN HAS PICKED UP SUCH A PERSONALITY, HE ACTS A LOT LIKE HIS DADDY. HE IS HIS BIGGEST FAN AND THINKS HE IS PRETTY FUNNY. HE SCREAMS AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS TO GET YOUR ATTENTION. HE  HAS ALSO LEARNED HOW TO WINK AT YOU, AND IT IS THE CUTEST THING EVER. RECENTLY HE HAS REALLY BEEN USING HIS SIGNS MORE, HE SIGNS MORE, EAT,  AND PLEASE, HE ALSO IS WAVING, HIGH FIVES, CLAPS, GIVES KISSES, GIVES HUGS, AND DANCES. I FEEL LIKE IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO HE IS REALLY CATCHING ON ALOT QUICKER. HE IS ALSO BECOMING MORE SOCIAL WITH PEOPLE. IT IS SO FUN TO SEE HIM TURN INTO A LITTLE BOY INSTEAD OF A BABY. IT IS AWESOME TO WATCH HIM HAVE EMOTION FOR THINGS NOW AND TO REALLY SEEM  INTERSTED IN NEW THINGS. ON THE STRENTGH SIDE HE IS GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER. ALTHOUGH HIS STRENGTH IS  ETHAN'S BIGGEST STRUGGLE SO FAR HE HAS BEEN MAKING PROGRESS. 

WE ARE STILL WORKING ON CRAWLING INTHEARPY, HE IS SO CLOSE, BUT JUST NOT THERE YET. HIS ARMS ARE THERE, NOW WE JUST NEED TO GET HIS LEGS THERE. HE IS DEFINITLY WANTING TO MOVE A LOT MORE THAN EVER AND IS A LOT MORE ACTIVE, HIS MUSCLES JUST NEED TO CATCH UP.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIM GROWING UP THE FITS/ TEMPER TANTRUMS HAVE STARTED. MAN THIS KID WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN HE IS UNHAPPY. HE HAS BEEN SOOOOOOOOO GOOD FOR SO LONG HE KIND OF SPOILED US, AND THEN BAM ONE DAY HE THREW A FIT AND NEVER LOOKED BACK. HE WILL TURN RED AND YELL THEN THE TEARS START, IT IS SO HARD TO SIT AND WATCH HIM CRY AS HE IS THE SADDEST CRYER EVER.

IT IS HARD AS A FIRST TIME PARENT TO SET THE BOUNDARIES. IT IS HARD TO NOT JUST GIVE THEM WHATEVER THEY WANT BECAUSE THEY ARE JUST BABIES. IT IS HARD TO TELL THEM NO AND LET THEM CRY WHEN YOU AREN'T EVEN SURE IF THEY UNDERSTAND. RIGHT NOW I AM HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME SAYING NO TO ETH, AND I THINK THAT IS BECAUSE SOMETIMES I UNDERSTAND WHY HE IS CRYING. HE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE AND HE CAN'T BECAUSE OF HIS LOW-TONE. I THINK HE BECOMES SO FRUSTRATED WITH IT AND THAT IS WHERE SOME OF HIS FITS STEM FROM.  ALSO I SOMETIMES THINK IT IS OKAY TO SPOIL HIM. HE WAS DEALT A ROUGH HAND AND HAS BEEN THROUGH MORE THAN ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO IN A LIFE TIME, AND I FEEL LIKE WHATS IT GOING TO  HURT IF HE GET A TOY HE WANTS OR IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO NAP IN HIS CRIB? THEN REALITY KICKS IN AND I REALIZE I HAVE TO BE FIRM WITH HIM AND I HAVE TO LEARN HOW NOW. WHEN HE IS OLDER AND HITTING HIS FOOD ISSUE STAGE JUST BECAUSE HE CRIES AND TELLS ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT HE IS HUNGRY I CAN'T CAVE. I HAVE TO BE STRONG AND I HAVE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR HIM.

SO MY THERAPY FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS GOING TO BE TO NOT LET MYSELF CAVE SO MUCH, TO TEACH MY CHILD CRYING DOESN'T GET HIM WHATEVER HE WANTS, BUT TO STILL MAKE SURE HE KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM.

few pics for fun- the last one is just because his hair is so awesomely out of control