1st Haircut - before...

13.5 months

During...

Ok, I don't want to "sit still" anymore!

All Done! No more baby curls (and no more red!)

This is a better pic from when we got home. The red has really gone away and his hair is more blonde now. Cute little boy!

This picture was taken about a year ago...

I remember being so worried that his head would be flat from laying down all the time. Who knew I would continue to worry about his head - now we just have to make sure he doesn't run into things and keep his hair out of his eyes (and actually get his hair cut!). I suppose the next head topic will be intellectual worries - oh my!

No means no, I suppose...

13.5 months

BASKETBALL PRACTICE

Basketball Practice

13.5 months old

Ethan Michael "Jordan"

13.5 months

He eats "nanas" whole now and his face will forever be dirty and sticky!

Taking all the Kleenexes out of the box - and Maggie is busted too...

Chillin' - he climbed up into the chair while Mike and I were cooking in the kitchen and he just watched the Olympics on TV.

Cheez-Its - another fav of his. I'm sure he thinks its a food group!

Ethan's new tricks:

He said "nana" at daycare while pointing the the fruit dish - that had bananas in it. Also, while grocery shopping this week, he freaked out when we went past the banana bin - heaven!

He knows how to shake his head - it's not "no" quite yet, but it is from practicing eskimo kisses!

When hungry or wants more cheerios, crackers, etc. - he bangs on the pantry door or tugs on his high chair tray from below. He definitely knows what he wants.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" and he will dart towards the steps, move (or try to move) the gate and climb away. This has become our "night-night" ritual. It has also become a "time-out" ritual when he tries to go up without an adult (and no, Maggie doesn't count).

Ethan got a basketball hoop for his birthday. He isn't quite tall enough, so we have to tilt it down a bit for him. He has mastered the slam dunk without mom or dad. Maggie plays defense.

"Where are Daddy's toes?" - he completely understands where everyone's feet/toes are, and he will grab them (aka tickle) and just giggle while doing it. Sometimes, it really does tickle!

He continues to talk on the "phone" - pretty much anything from the real thing to a shoe will act as a phone...he will babble what sounds like hello or hi, and walk away while "chatting." He tends to say "ya, ya" a lot!

The shoe collector!

13 months

New fun - oven mits!

Oh, just Ethan and Mommy!
13 months


Showing his belly...speaking of which, he knows where it is!
If you ask him - where is your belly? - he points to it with his thumb and says jibberish that sounds like "there."


Being goofy in his tunnel.

He really needs a haircut...he is coming with mommy next week to the salon.


Well, Ethan decided to take everything within reach out of the pantry. What a helper...geez!


Ethan's new sled for his 1st birthday. It's been too cold to go out in the snow, but hopefully we can get out soon. So, sledding in the living room will have to do for now...

Ethan's Birthday Party

The Party - Happy Joe's Pizza in Ames

Birthday Boy!

He started off cautious, and then dove right in! YUM!

Ugh, I think I am going to throw up...

He didn't, but surprisingly, he took a really long nap that afternoon!

The Cakes


The theme was "Pizza Party" so we made pizza cakes. Watch out Cake Boss...
The pepperoni are fruit roll-ups, the sausage are whoppers malt balls, the green peppers are smushed green dots, and the cheese is grated white chocolate. The frosting is vanilla with cocoa powder to give it the tan color. It was gooood.


Mommy was in charge of the decorating (well, the candy anyways - Daddy is the master froster)

Daddy with Ethan's giant cupcake that is just for him!

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!