The love of his life

Veggie Chips!

I just remembered this page

It was fun to read what the kids were up to a year ago. I can't believe how much they've grown in body and ability since then.

Jack's talking is escalating quickly. Just tonight he said "batteries" and "Buzz" and "Woody". He calls juice "Doe" for some reason. He says "kank cou" and "bwess u" without prompting though he needs reminders for "please". Jack is so so snuggly and sweet. He likes to nuzzle and rock for long stretches. He also says, "Hi Mommy, Bye Mommy (or Daddy or Bea)" repeatedly while opening and closing the door.

Ethanael is so creative in his play. I love watching him make up stories for his Thomas train characters. He also finds toys to play the parts of the Toy Story characters that he doesn't have. Grandma bought him and Jack matching Buzz Lightyear velcro tennies today. They light up. He got so upset when they got a little wet in the backyard while I was watering the vegetable garden.

My sweeties

"Peanut butter and sandwich" - E
"Where did my eyebrows go?" - E
"I love you" - J
" e-i-e-i-o" - J

An Accident Free day & a breakthrough

There is so much to write about, but the most exciting is that Ethanael spent a day at the zoo today with me, Jack, Jess and Lindsay and he kept his underwear dry. They stayed dry at home too, he wanted to pee standing up, and he finally broke his few month long unwillingness to poop on the potty. His reward, which just motivated him enough all of a sudden was a squishy, life-like frog toy that he saw at Walgreens a two weeks ago. Who knows if the zoo frogs inspired him, or if it was my pleasant attitude catching him at just the right time, or if it was that he now feels in control of his life since our move is a couple weeks behind us. He proceeded to name his frog Pat, then Sarah, then Sally. He and I dialoged extensively with her. She told him how she had been crying waiting for him to poop so they could play. She danced, she climbed trees, she told me she has a big boy bed and pajamas. Sally also said she missed the lizard and I told her that he could come to live with us when Ethanael went poop a few more times on the potty and that we'd make a chart tomorrow. Ethanael just told me that the lizard's name is Pat.

He is a hilarious sweetheart. Ethanael says, "last morning", which makes perfect sense because you say "last night" and you don't say "this night".

Jack was 29lbs and 29inches long at his year well visit last week. He's doing great. He scoots around in an army crawl style. Jack is responding a bit to "no touch" training on the stereo. He is all about the table food and has been packing it away. To my amazement and quick horror, when we arrived at the zoo today he had knawed through 3/4 an apple that Ethanael had given him (without permission). The skin and half the core were gone. Jack is also a screetcher and has been having fits the past few weeks

My list is getting long...

The list of all the cute things the kids are doing and saying, that is.

Just tonight, Ethanael left the table after dinner and went up to the office while we continued to visit. When we asked what he was doing he answered "Nuh-sin', Mama, nuh-sin'". When we asked again he said "Just checkin' my e-mail."

This afternoon while he and Jack were buckled into the backseat, Ethanael started to say "no, no touch Jack", I asked what Jack was touching and Ethanael answered "I being patient".

We had a conversation a couple weeks ago about what his loved one's first names are: Patricia, Steve, Nancy, Peter, Michael, Karen, etc. Since then when in a crowded place or when I'm talking and not paying attention, Ethanael has called out "Karen!".

A few weeks ago when it was warm out we started an adventure game where Ethanael ran up behind the bushes along the top of the retaining wall. He went around and around and then started to feed me my lines in the drama, "Where my little boy go?"

He sings Veggie Tales while eating his green beans and stacks them up.

He refers to Sesame Street as sesamestreet.org or pbskids.org.

He calls helicopters, happycopters and dinosaurs, dinosaurauses.

Jack is all of a sudden full of personality. His teradactyl screech has turned into primal yells full of dramatic flair. He and Ethanael like to yell back and forth at each other. Ethanael makes him crack up by saying "a-boo-boo".

He's not crawling yet, but is starting to get bored staying in one place. It makes him pretty cranky, but maybe it will motivate him sometime soon. Jack's starting to understand sign language and "no". We had our first "no touch" training with the Easter egg tree, and it's refreshing to see his responsive little conscience.

Jack taught himself to clap in front of us about a week ago. Now he does it on demand.

Jack got his seventh tooth a couple days ago.

Ethanael has started to call his brother "Jackie" of his own accord.

Papstick and Pupcakes

In December Ethanael had the need and opportunity to use chapstick and to eat cupcakes. The title of this post shows how he referred to them. Another new phrase that we hear from him is "I can't like it." Usually used with regard to food that he doesn't want to try though he's most likely eaten it before, or at least all the ingredients in a different arrangement.

Trains are Ethanael's newest fascination. He discovered Thomas and Friends through a library video and was quickly a huge fan. He received his favorite engine, Percy for Christmas. He's also a fan of Gordon, James and of course Thomas. He spent the entire time we shared with Kelly, Josh and Luke Cairo in Holland playing with Josh's Thomas and James trains. He's watching a new sing-a-long Thomas DVD narrated by Pierce Brosnan as I write. He's also enjoying putting together his geotrax train set. I like to play with it too which is nice.

We got a dog just before Thanksgiving. He was a stray that I found near I-94 on my way to church. Rufus (named by Michael) is a yorkshire terrier that is about 3 years old. He is house trained and is a nice lapdog. He had done a good job getting used to the children and is beginning to play a bit more. Ethanael loves dogs and is happy to have one on site.

Jack just finished his first full serving of a baby food. He's had bites of rice cereal before, but hasn't really taken to the spoon yet and hasn't been opening his mouth for cereal. I let him suck on some sweet potato from my plate tonight and then to my surprise he eagerly lapped up the cup of them that I had waiting in the cupboard.

Poor little Jack is a touch more restless lately. I think he's getting bored with being stationary, but he's not quite sitting yet, let alone crawling. He does like to roll though and to stand. I'm a bit disappointed that this crankiness is aligning itself with the coming month and a half of packing and painting that's ahead of me. We close on our first home this Friday, January 23rd. It is at 23128 Brookdale, St. Clair Shores, MI 48082.

Ethanael with a play dough mustache.


There was a little phase where this was the most hilarious thing to do. The insides of Ethanael's ears were red, green, yellow, etc. for a couple weeks. The next Steve Martin?
Jack with uncle Jeff on his first Thanksgiving. They look a lot alike to those of us acquainted with Jeff's baby pictures. Do you see it?


Jack with Daddy on his first Christmas Eve.

Ethanael mastered playing papa Wittstock's horn over the 2008 Christmas Season.

Rufus in his Christmas bomber jacket.

October Pictures

Jack's getting bigger

Signs of growth that the charts don't show are when the baby can't lie in your lap without his head falling back over your knees because he pushes off your chest with his feet. He likes to stand up with support under the arms too. Jack also seems to be ready for a faster flow bottle nipple. Finally, he has now slept through the night from 10pm-7am without waking up for four days in a row, starting last Thursday the 19th. Unfortunately, I'm still feeling sleepy at nap time.

Ethanael is in a new phase of movie watching and instead of Finding Nemo, he prefers "tales" - Jonah specifically. Still aquatic, but a welcome change. He is also more interested in the story of the three little pigs. He's liked it for awhile, but now frequently says "huff, puff" and then rasberries all over people. Other frequent phrases are thank you, hugs and kisses and sorry. It's sad that I'm getting a little annoyed by these wonderful words. I especially feel badly that I've passed on the bad habit of saying sorry when I haven't done anything wrong. He's picked up other expressions of mine too, like "let's see"