Still Waiting; Ethan Watching

We are still waiting for more news today. I am in Ann Arbor now, killing some time between my blood draw this morning and my Livestrong class at the YMCA. We should have the results of the blood draw some time today. The hope is that the HCG is back to normal, indicating that last weeks results were due to a hormone imbalance. So keep hoping and praying for me today.


I continue to feel better each day and am now walking up to 2.5 miles a day. I have also put 10-15 lbs back on, most of which is around the middle. Hopefully with my workout schedule increasing I can convert some of that to muscle. The Livestrong class has been great, and I am confident they will continue to make me stronger.


Besides waiting and worrying this week, we have been delighted to watch many of Ethan's "Firsts". He is not walking without assistance! He started with a few steps between us, but quickly progressed to walking across the room when one of us is there to catch him. Now he is walking between the furniture on his own, and is getting more confident each day.


On Thursday we took him to the park for the first time, and made his first trips down the slide and on the swings. He also began eating real food. I guess after the park he felt he had grown up a bit, so he refused to eat his baby food. We gave him some pasta from our plates and loved the pasta and tomatoes.


On Monday he came to Ann Arbor for my class. He napped while Megan took him for a walk, but once my class was over he enjoyed his first time in a pool. The Ann Arbor Y has a wonderful kids pool. They keep it at 90 degrees, and it starts out at 0 depth and progresses to 4 feet deep; like a beach. Ethan proudly walked right into the water (with a little help) right up to his armpits. He loved the water and, apparently, the life guard. He smiled and waved at her several times, making it the first time he has waved at a stranger.


Maybe we are just silly parents getting excited about all of these "firsts", and I guess we wouldn't argue with that. Below are some photos of our boy wonder, you can judge for yourself. Oh, by the way, Ethan has 8 teeth in already, and he is already brushing them quite well! That's my son!










Ethan's first trip down the slide at Elizabeth Park.


















"So that was fun, what else you got?"

"I hope you have a good grip on me Mom!"



















"Mmm! Pasta!"

"Let's see, did I get it all?"


















"Ooh! There's a piece that was getting away!"

"Maybe if I hide some in my ear I can save it for later. Mom and Dad will never know!"















"Well, that's all the pictures for now, I am outta here!"