Bye Bye Binkie

So a few weeks ago we decided it was time to make the last step in getting rid of Ethan's binkie. He really hasn't been incredibly attached to it for quite a while. In fact he has only been using it while he sleeps for over a year. Around May we decided to nix it during his nap, and that wasn't too traumatic, but he was hanging on to it at bed time a little more strongly.

We had read that if a kid can be part of giving it up, it makes the transition easier--less like it is just being taken away. So we decided to wrap it up and give it to a friend who recently had a baby--or more to the baby herself. So a few weeks ago, Holly (my friend) was coming to babysit Ethan while we went to the temple and Baby Kylie was coming. We talked to Ethan about how much Baby Kylie would love to have his binkie and how it would help her. He was pretty excited about giving it to her. He helped me pick out the wrapping paper, and even added his own scotch tape bow on top. All day he just talked about giving the present to Baby Kylie. He was fine watching it go in her bag, but we weren't sure how that night would go.

Jason bought this rabbit as the new friend that could sleep with Ethan now that he was such a big boy. We had tried to get him to sleep without the binky, and had offered the bunny but he would have none of that.
But this night, when he asked for the binkie we reminded him how he had given it to baby Kylie and how much she was loving it. How nice he was to give it to her to make her happy. He kind of nodded and was a little sad, but surprisingly, he didn't even cry. For the next couple weeks he would still ask for it every night, but it became more so we could tell him how nice he was for giving it up. It has been a beautiful transition, and we don't even miss it anymore!!! Good job Ethan.

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Ethan turned two last Saturday (July 25th). What a fun day. I love this age. Everything is so exciting. The main thing we got for Ethan was a kitchen that we had found at DI. It was in pretty rough shape, but Jason really gave it an extreme makeover. I'll have to post some close ups of it another time--and I really should have taken before and after pictures of it. The stickers were coming off or scratched up, the plastic window on the oven was broken. It was a real mess. But now, not only are there new stickers, knobs, and windows, but it is even wired to light up when the dishwasher, oven, or stove is on, and the oven will beep if it is done. I tell ya, it definitely comes in handy to have an electrical engineer around.

We decided to eat breakfast before Ethan saw the kitchen--so we could actually get it down. Then as we were cleaning up, Ethan thought it sounded like fun to help do dishes, vacuum, and he even asked if we could get the Windex out so he could help spray it. So it was actually getting closer to lunch time before we got it out. I took Ethan upstairs to get dressed and Jason set it up downstairs. When Ethan came down and saw it he stopped, then yelled "Kitchen!!!" He would explore it all, and pause every once in a while to yell "kitchen" again and again. It was the best reaction we could have asked for. For several weeks now, he has been pretending to play with a kitchen--making bread, soups, smoothies, you name it. And now he actually has a place to put those pots and pans and whatever else he imagines.


This was his birthday cake. Apart from kitchens, I think airplanes are his greatest love. Whenever we get markers out to draw, he always tells me his scribbles are airplanes or trucks (Grandpa's Truck in particular).


We had my whole family over for dinner and dessert that night. Since he had all day to get used to the kitchen, he could appreciate other gifts too. Grandma and Grandpa Burton got him this motorcycle big wheel. It is so cool with sounds and blinkers and everything. The next morning when Ethan got up, the first thing he said in his crib was "kitchen." We went downstairs and he also saw his motorcycle (mocytohtoh) and he was so excited he couldn't choose which one he wanted to play with. He would look from one to the other...kitchen, mocytohto, kitchen...

Kid Quotes

I decided I need to write down some of the fun things Ethan has come out with lately. I'm sure these will get better and better as he gets older, but he is already keeping us laughing, so probably more for my memory's sake than anything else, I'm going to start posting them.

A few weeks ago, we were reading a numbers book and he would name the number then say what the picture was (1 car, 2 bananas etc.) when he got to 7 starfish he said seven...then thought about it for a while...brown things!

Jason was reading a book to him one night before be a couple weeks ago, and he hadn't shaved that day. Ethan looked back at his chin, pointed, and said, "Dirty. Wash it."

Hooray for Free Activities

So we found our new favorite free activity. The city of Herriman has some awesome water fountain parks, and we made our first visit to one this past Friday. There really isn't much we feel like doing outside when the temperatures hover around 100 degrees (I think Ethan has inherited my intollerance for heat--we go on our deck to water the plants, and he often tries to stay in the shady spots by the house). But on Friday, we checked out the fountain park, and it was a blast. It is the ultimate running through the sprinklers party, but with fun shaped fountains, and a picnic besides. As we've gone swimming this summer, Ethan hasn't been too excited about getting his face wet, so I wasn't sure how he would handle a park where the object is to run through water that is spraying you in the face, but he took right to it. We will definitely have to make this a more frequented stop on our summer fun list.

Newest Ultrasound

We had a second ultrasound a little over a week ago, and everything looks wonderful with our baby girl. She is measuring right on track. It is hard to believe that I will be seven months next week. There is something so comforting about feeling her kick--even when it happens to be right in my rib cage.

This second picture is a little harder to make out, but it is supposed to be a more 3-D image. The lighter parts of the picture in the middle are the nose and lips. She is holding a hand up by her face too (on the right side). No, she doesn't have a name yet, but it is amazing how much you can love someone before you even see them. Just a couple more months, baby!

Firestation

Our ward's playgroup visited the firestation a couple of weeks ago. Many of the kids are probably a little younger than the normal crowd the firemen present to, but it was really fun. Ethan has really been into trucks and cars and planes lately so the excitement was pretty high to actually see a firetruck up close. He got to pull the nozzle on a real firehose, hold the big hammer they would use to break down doors and even stand inside the fire engine.

Family Reunion

We had our Burton Family Reunion mid June this year. With more than 50 cousins on that side of my family, and with many of them married and having families of thier own you could say I don't necessarily keep track of everyone. And not everyone was able to come, but we did have a great time. We camped at a family ranch owned by my aunt's family (okay, so a lot of us still stayed at a nearby hotel--being almost 6 months pregnant I decided I was entitled to that). This was also the first opportunity the Mendes boys had to go horseback riding--both Ethan and Jason!

Jason also got the honor of representing my family in the talent show. He did a magic show for all the kids--and my parents and siblings were more than happy to hand the spotlight over to them. Dad came up with the idea, and got such overwhelming support from everyone that I don't think Jason even got a say in the matter.

Here are a couple of other pictures of Ethan from the trip. Yes, sunglasses are in style no matter the time of day.



This is his "muscle man" pose that is getting more fun by the day.