9 months

Ethan was nine months old on Christmas Eve! I remember last Christmas thinking we would have a nine month old the next Christmas, and thinking how far away that seemed. Now it has come and gone in the blink of an eye. The last nine months have been such an amazing experience, and I am so thankful that God blessed us with such a precious little boy.

At his nine month checkup, Ethan weighed 22lbs (75th percentile), and I don't remember exactly how long he was, but he was off the charts! (100th percentile) Unless his growth slows down rapidly, he is going to be a BIG boy!

Ok so I thought this was hilarious =)

Alternative Discipline Techniques
Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!

Tough Love vs. Spanking





Most people nowadays think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments'.





One that I have found very effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride during which I say nothing and give the child the opportunity to reflect on his or her behavior.





I don't know whether it's the steady vibration from the car, or just the time away from any distractions such as TV, Video Games, Computer, IPod, etc.





Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together. I believe that eye to eye contact during these sessions is an important element in achieving the desired results.





I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique. Scroll down below to see it....

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Ethan is crawling!

Now that Ethan is 8 months old, he is finally crawling! He is still pretty lazy about it, and doesn't crawl unless he REALLY wants something. I'm sure he will get curious soon and be everywhere... =)

I've started a website for my embroidery!

Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails!

Embroidery Machine

So I finally got an embroidery machine! I've been wanting one for a long time! It is amazing what it can do! It was a little frustrating at first trying to figure it all out and I ruined a onesie or two trying to figure out which stabilizer to use and such...but...I think I've got it down =) Here are a few pics of what I have done so far =)

Scott wanted me to do a state shirt for Ethan =)

Practicing on Onesies and hand towels

Dino

Applique on a towel

Taco Soup Recipe

I thought I would share my taco soup recipe! It is SUPER easy to make and SO good!

Taco Soup:

1 lb ground beef--browned
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
2 cans ro-tel (1 can spicy if you want a spicy soup)
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups water (you can add more or less depending on how soupy you want it)

Add all the ingredients in a large pot. When you add the cans of beans and corn, don't drain them, pour the juice in too. (I usually do drain the kidney beans b/c my husband doesn't like the taste of kidney beans :)
Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 20 min.

We put sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips on top!

Halloween

Ethan went to his first costume Halloween party on Friday night. It was pretty funny to see all the babies dressed up. Ethan had fun, we think =)