I'm a walking machine

Ever since Ethan started walking on Halloween that was it, he wanted to walk and walk and walk.  Most days you see him walking from one place to another for no real reason but that he can now.  I know most people say its so hard when they start walking because they are into everything, well I guess in that regard nothing has really changed for us considering Ethan was into everything before he was walking.  Ask me in a few weeks when he gets really good at it, but right now I think its a lot of fun.  I can't get enough of just watching him walk all over the sight never gets old for me as I sit there and marvel how he went from crawling to walking. He likes to follow us around the house, never wanting to take our hand when it is offered almost like "I can do it mom and dad." One of the new habits he has taken up since walking is carrying around his blanket.  He has a specific blanket my aunt Maria made him that he sleeps with every night.  And in the mornings when you open the door he is standing there in his crib dishoveled and blurry eyed but with one hand holding the end of his blanket.  As the day progresses you will see him walking around holding onto the tip of the blanket as it is slung over his shoulder trailing behind him like a cape.  Matt says that this is his favorite thing about his new ability and he doesn't think he will ever get sick of seeing him do that.  We joke that he we should just call him Linus after the character in the Peanuts cartoon that carries his blanket everywhere.

This isn't his blanky but Matt caught this picture after Ethan became really quiet he looked and he had fallen asleep like this

He can walk and hold his bottle at once .. Action shot

A few weekends ago Larkin and Willa came to RR for a visit.  Gerry and I loaded all three kids into the Jenny's van and took them to a near by park.  It was the tallest play structure I had ever seen, and also the most elaborate.  This was Ethan's first time going to the park since being able to walk and he had a blast.  He went all over not really letting the uneven tan bark knock him down or make him loose his balance.  He even figured out how to crawl up the play scape to the slide and after a few assisted attempts he wanted to go down by himself (me keeping my hands on his legs because I wasn't ready to let go).  When the girls wanted to kick the ball on the grass he kept trying to escape back to the slide he had become obsessed!  I can't wait to take him back.

Can you see Willa & Larkin in the bubble ?

Walking around the park

Playing with the ball in the grass

Eating a snack after playing hard

Nadine came into town to visit us this last weekend.  She was working in Dallas and decided to come see us! Even though it was a super short visit (the lucky duck got invited to a cowboys game something Matt says as a Texas resident his whole life hasn't done)  we had so much fun.  Ethan was super shy at first putting his head into my shoulder and then peaking out at her.  But by the end they were BFF.  He would climb up on the couch and snuggle up right next to her.  And in the car they were playing in the backseat in their own little world that it was almost like Matt and I weren't in the car.  She was a natural with him, and you could tell she had a fan in Ethan.  We really can't wait for her to come back!

Ethan & Deanie cuddling on the couch (Ethan has chocolate ice cream face)