Sleep Disturbia

So Shaun mentioned in the last post that Ethan likes to wake Spencer up in the middle of the night. This is true. I don't quite know what the thrill of it is, he just seems to think it's something worth waking up for. It started with screaming, but now he has decided it's more fun to wake him by laughing loudly. Although it is a very naughty thing to do, it is hard not to think it's funny when I am awaken in the middle of the night by my son laughing at nothing in his dark bedroom. The funniest thing about it is that when I go in to save Spencer from this obnoxious awakening, Ethan is always just laying in his bed. The first time it happened I expected him to be by Spencer's crib laughing AT Spencer, but apparently the laughing is FOR Spencer. Ethan has also begun to wake up earlier in the morning than usual. This is very disheartening to a mother who has had almost perfect sleepers for children basically since the day they were born. In fact, through my entire pregnancy with Spencer I slept until at least 8:00 most mornings, and the only times I didn't get a nap it was my fault, not Ethan's. When you get more sleep than you could dream of during an entire pregnancy, you dread the sleepless nights that inevitably will come with having a newborn. I just never expected that my 3 month old would sleep better than my 2 year old who allowed me to sleep so much while I was pregnant! His naps have been unpredictable lately, too. Sometimes an hour, sometimes three. He also likes to have a crying session for about 15 minutes when he wakes up from his naps some days. I thought maybe he just didn't need naps anymore, but when he fell asleep at lunch, I decided that wasn't the case. (Luckily Grandma was smart enough to take some pictures.)
So while I try to figure out how I can make Ethan's sleep more fulfilling for him (and me), I guess I should try to enjoy the fact that Spencer sleeps all day AND all night because he will be two one day also.

Spencer's First Laugh

Spencer is getting big. At almost 3 1/2 months he's as cute as ever. He's like a cat in a lot of ways. He eats and sleeps all day. Emily got him to laugh for the first time today. Spencer is still disturbed by Ethan's spontaneous shreaks of joy so we're hoping there won't be any long term effects. Ethan and Spencer share a room. Ethan likes to wake up during the night and scream to try and wake Spencer. He's been successful. Spencer likes to gaze at us, even when we're not paying attention. We look over and he's got a big grin on his face. Adorable...what more can I say?

Ethan Chews Gum

Yesterday Ethan and I were sitting at the computer and I noticed a piece of gum in front of me, so I popped one in my mouth. Well, my 2 year old who always mimics his daddy decided he wanted a piece too. So little by little I fed him the stick of gum, constantly checking to see if he was swallowing it. I kept saying "chew" and he would follow by saying "two" while holding up his fingers. "No Ethan CHEW" I said. "TWO" he replied back. "No Ethan "CCCHHHEEEEWWW" I said slightly frustrated. Ethan then said "One". So I gave up on that and just watched his mouth. He knew exactly what he was doing. He chewed that gum for hours like he was trying to quit smoking or something. Yet again our son impresses with yet another amazing feat. WELL IT WAS AMAZING TO US...OKAY. Shaun

Splish Splash

Well hello there everyone. Emily has done a great job keeping up with our blog. Our kids are growing up fast, getting cuter by the minute. We are wrapping up on the move from Orem to Lehi. Everything has gone exceptionally well. The only bloodshed came from the big toe of Grandpa Dibb. While helping me move an entertainment center he somehow managed to peel back his big toenail. OUCH! Well that’s what he said. The doctor said it would take a year for it to fully grow back. He kept the nail as a reminder not to help his kids move again. J/K Ethan loves to splash in his little pool. We went out today and he played while dad snapped some shots. Emily's parents are on an Alaskan cruise right now. LUCKY! Tomorrow, Emily's brother R. Jay and I will be wrapping production on "Iron...ic Horror 3". It's the third installment to my iron killing horror trilogy. I'm working at Hollywood Video now. It's a fun job. I love conversing with customers about movies. It's an occupation right down my alley. Getting free rentals is a nice perk. There's a bill we won't have to flip anymore. Shaun

My Genius Son

So Shaun and I (like most other parents) have decided that our little Ethan is a genius. My sisters and mom can vouch for the fact that I love to brag about all of the intelligent things he can do. It all started when we realized that he has a special talent for and interest in computers. We think he gets this from his Daddy. When he was about 18 months old he started to play on the computer. At first we thought it was really just playing, but we soon noticed that he was able to point and click on very small buttons. He also liked to change settings and create his very own new folders on the desktop. Now I don't know about anyone else, but I think that kind of hand-eye coordination can be difficult for even some adults to master. It took a while, but I finally decided to let him play some computer games on the internet. They are made for toddlers, but I was amazed at how quickly he mastered the Care Bears matching game (it has the same rules as "Memory") he plays on their website. He has actually become bored of that one I think. His other two favorite games are alphabet games. As a result of playing those games he can recognize all of his letters and knows that E is for Ethan. Ethan is also able to recognize and name all of the basic shapes and is learning his numbers and colors. Of course there are other things that show his intelligence like all of the new words he uses everyday, his ability to draw, and all of the ASL signs he has known for some time now. We are kind of hoping that he will be eager to teach his little brother all of the things he knows so that we can think we have a prodigy when Spencer is two. It has become obvious to me that if it weren't for computers our bright little buddy may not be so bright, so I am thankful for the advancements in technology that have been made possible by people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Now if only the computer could teach Ethan how to use his potty...