Christmas with the Dean's


Ethan is so efficient...the dump truck can also serve as a cup holder for his sippy.


Ethan loves bows...in fact, at his birthday, we avoided bows just so he would open the present.

Helping with presents...

Kaleb and Kevin trying to open their wooden boxes from Uncle Mike.

Christmas at the Johnson's


It's a pacifier - on a steek! He loved it - and still does!


Maggie and Ethan checking out the snow plows. Spencer got over 20" snow when we were in town and it snowed every single day we were there!


Grandpa Tom introducing Studly to Ethan. Ethan kept pointing at it and saying "dat" - which means, what's that?


Grandpa Tom letting Ethan touch Studly Junior. Ethan was curious, but not too excited about it!


Ethan's Merry Christmas jammies!
1st Christmas

Christmas 2009 - very quickly with Mommy, Daddy, Ethan and Maggie before traveling to Spencer before the snow storm hit.


Ethan and his new wagon from Santa! He climbed into it all by himself. Not the most graceful kid in the world.


Maggie and her new bed. She would just lay there and look at the Christmas presents!
Yep, there are about 10 holes in it now and it looks like a piece of crap.


Daddy's little architect. Daddy isn't very happy when Ethan tries to destroy his mega block structures. (This Christmas present was more for Daddy).

We haven't had an opportunity to post for awhile. The Dean family has been battling winter storms (#3 in the past month started today!), traveling, Christmas, 1st birthday, bitter cold temperatures, and all us of us have sinus colds right now. Sigh... to top it off Mike has a project that is due this week, and it is back to school time for me, so we have also been extremely busy at work. With that, unfortunately, the Christmas cards (or even New Year's cards) did not get out this year. Maybe we will break tradition and send out a mass mailing for the 4th of July!

Quick Ethan update. Our big boy turned 1 on January 3rd. He had his birthday party at Happy Joe's in Ames. The theme was "pizza party" - Mike and I are ready to battle the 'Cake Boss' with our homemade pizza cakes (pics coming soon). Ethan had no trouble figuring out how to eat his cake (pics coming soon too!). He had his 1 year doctor checkup this week as well. He is 25 lbs 11oz and 32.5" long. Still in the 90th percentile!

I will try to get pictures posted in the next few days. We have lots to sift through with Christmas and birthday photos. Stay tuned!

Busted - Ethan found the stash of Christmas presents (that still need wrapped as of today!)


Yep, he climbed in by himself was content for quite awhile.
11.5 months

Ethan wants gladware for Christmas


There is a story with this one...
So, Mommy saw that Ethan got into our "overstock" of pop. He was curious and playing really nice, so I took a picture and let it go. He got up and acted like he was going to drink it. Ah, how cute. He then walked up to the kitchen (Mommy was at the sink) and he chucked it onto the kitchen floor and it sprayed everywhere! He then proceeded to go after it - he thought it was funny. I guess Mommy is too trusting...
11.5 months

What a mess!

Snow day! December 9, 2009 - record snow fall in Des Moines 15.7"
Iowa State University (they never close!) and many businesses have closed today and the plows have been pulled from the roads. You can travel, but if you get stuck (and you will get stuck) no one will come get you. Mike tried to plow his way over to a neighbor that needed help with his driveway, and he couldn't get there with the snow blower. Mike was able to drive his SUV to the grocery store to look for a movie and get some bread for us. Ethan and I have stayed in, I brought a lot of work home, so I have been working on that during his long morning nap and lunch in the highchair and hopefully during his afternoon nap.


9PM December 8th
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow


9AM December 9th
No idea where the front steps are!
Blizzard continues through this evening...

Bon Appetit! And a bath for dessert!

Ethan's infamous silliness.

I apologize that it is sideways - I forgot that it doesn't work that way when I publish the videos.

He really likes the polar bear toy. He does fall over in the end, but I caught him and he's fine!

The polar bear rocks back and forth and sings. Ethan was dancing and bouncing to it!
Almost 11 months.


Yep, he just rips them off the tree. The new famous term in our house (other than "no") is "pretty."


Investigating as usual. He also points and waves to the tree, as well as crawl underneath it.
Was not helpful whatsoever in the decorating process!

Thanksgiving Day Family Picture!
(Ethan has Mommy's hair flip!)
November 26, 2009

Ethan's duck bill - it quacks and everything!
Its nice when we walks around with it because we know exactly where he is!
almost 11 months


Ethan and Brody in the box - Brody was in first, then Ethan decided that he wanted to be in there too. It was quite humorous to watch them struggle getting in and out and then do it all over again!
Ethan 11 months, Brody 17 months

Just playin cars...
Ethan almost 11 months


Ok, let me out of here!

Where's Ethan?

10.5 months

Ethan loves to play with his cars!
And as I am posting he is sitting on the landing playing with a car - it has consumed most of his day.
10.5 months

I always like to help Daddy!
(more so that he likes to push any and all buttons)
10.5 months


Messy face


Ethan can stand up on his own using the floor


Loves to look out the window (and bang on it too!)

Eating homemade mac n cheese - Maggie is still very involved in dinner time.

Godfather's Pizza (ham)- 1st Experience!
10 months


What a big boy eating off his plate. Surprisingly, it never hit the ground.


Poor Maggie, we get so much entertainment out of torturing her!

Whoa, alert the authorities, we have a break out.

Drinking his night time sippy cup - no more bottles!!!
10 months


We didn't really do anything for Halloween with Ethan, but we did get a tiger costume from a friend that he will be able to wear maybe next year (or the year after). It came with a hat, so we thought we would try that!

Halloween was cold and rainy here, but we still got quite a few trick-or-treaters.


Ethan does not like things on his head, and Maggie was investigating as usual!

Hi Mommy! Ethan likes the string on the camera!

And, as you can see, we will be scheduling a haircut soon.