Reading Books

Lately, Easton has been really into opening up books, pretending to read and point to the pictures. It is adorable! I tried to upload a video, but it didn't work. So, follow click on the picture below and use the password to see some camera videos from the last couple of months. You will need the password "Easton Videos". Click the arrow at the top or click close and click on a the next video. The last video is the one of Easton looking at his book. So precious!

First Steps!

My deepest apologies for being negligent on updating the blog. For some unknown reason, I have decided to sell Tupperware on top of an already busy schedule. Then a couple of brides from last year just made their picture selections for albums. All at the same time!

Now, for what you probably really want to know about...Easton. He is such a good little boy. Naps are still a bit shotty, but I can't complain. He goes to be around 7:30 at night and wakes up at 4/5am for a bottle and then sleeps until 7am. Compared to the first few months, this is a cake walk. He plays all day. He is really into his toys and is so interactive now. He loves to point and explore.

He has a couple of bottom teeth. And you would think by the amount of drool that his top teeth would be here by now. They are taking their sweet time.

A packaging tube recently came in the mail with a delivery. He thinks it is the best thing ever. The view from my end of the tube is precious.

And for the big news, Easton took a few steps yesterday. I was actually sitting on the floor taking the above pictures and Jason came home. Jason sat on the floor. Easton had himself standing, holding onto my knee, and then he just let go and walked to Jason. I just happened to catch it with the camera.
(Not the best picture technically, but you can see Jason's delight.)

Welcome Baby Elizabeth Rose

As usual, it has been a bit crazy around here. The most exciting news is the birth of Easton's new cousin, Elizabeth Rose "Izzy". She was born on July 28th, weighed 8lbs 4oz and 20.5in. She seems so much smaller than Easton was. She is a little smaller than Easton, but I think I have forgotten how small newborns are.

Yesterday, the crew came over and I took some pictures of the new addition. Big sister Autumn is so proud! The other day she came up to me and said, "This is my little sister. Isn't she cute?" It was very sweet.




Easton thought that Izzy was very cute as well. He stared at her for quite some time.


He is becoming such a big boy. The other day when I was filling his tub, I went into his room and got his washcloth while he was in the bathroom. I came back in to find him standing at the tub, watching the water. He must have pulled himself up while I left the room. He crawls around, slowly but surely. It's become a game to see how fast I can babyproof the house. He also has been saying "da-da". It doesn't mean much yet, being that he'll say it at random times and now when he sees his dad. Everyday there is something new that he is doing. He's such a sweetheart.

7 Months Old

As you can probably tell, we have been pretty busy around here. Jason has been hard at work on his basement steamroom bathroom. Next we have to deal with the basement floor. It will be so nice to have the house put back together soon!

I have been busy taking care of Easton and trying to fit in my photography stuff when I can.

Tonight we are going out to dinner as a pre-Katie having a baby celebration. She is about to go into labor at any second now! The Doctor (who was mine) actually gave Katie her home phone number just in case she went into labor overnight, and she wasn't on-call. I knew I liked that lady! (Jess, get ready for her! Hopefully you will be working, and thanks for coming out the other night. It was great to see you again!)

As you can see, Easton is doing very well and starting to crawl. He had been sick a couple days ago with a fever, lethargy and a decrease in appetite. I think he is doing much better this morning. He was even able to crawl over to Sadie and pull her beard. Sadie was a little surprised that this little being is able to move (and pull).

6 Months...and then some.

This past month has been a busy whirlwind. It started off with the flooding of our basement. We tried to save the carpet, but long story short, we had to rip it up. Now we have to decide what we are going to do to the floor. Carpet is out of the question. If it floods again, easy clean-up is key.

Easton, Ashley and I went to visit Easton's great-grandparents in Florida. It was nice to get out of the house and give Jason some time to himself to get the basement taken care of. I am sure Easton misses his Great-grandma and Great-grandpa.

I take pictures of everyone elses baby but mine, so yesterday we did a little miny shoot out back. Our boy remains a big baby. He is 95% in height and 85% in weight. He can sit up unsupported like a champ. It's so cute to watch him play with all of his toys. He also is spending a lot of time on his hands and knees, rocking back and forth. I suspect he will be crawling within a month. Then the fun (work-out) will really begin.

Zoo and AMEX

Yesterday we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo. It was a nice day and not too crowded at all. We went first thing in the morning, and the rain storms hit on our way home. It was perfect! Easton seemed to enjoy all the people watching. He really didn't have a great idea about what all was going on. He did very well though and took a nap fairly easily for an hour of it. I was so proud of myself for taking Easton out with Ryan, the neighbor boy, without any major problems. Here are the boys in front of the lions.

Is he not the cutest?

He was trying to catch a glimpse of the fishies.

Proud mama with her baby.


You may be wondering why this blog is titled "Zoo and AMEX." Well, I feel as if I should plug American Express. Jason and I have had this credit card for quite some time now. Not only do we get points, for which we have gotten this desk that I am sitting at now and a $500 gift card to Home Depot, but they have always been pretty good. Who can complain? Today after making numerous calls to get our credit card charge refunded from AllCare Dental (NEVER go there) for dental work that we prepaid for, I had no luck. I called my Dad to ask why I should do. He suggested filing a complaint with American Express against AllCare for fraud. It worked! I five minute phone call and everything was taken care of. I only wish I would have called them 2 hours sooner.

Got to go. The babies awake

Garden Update

Here's the infamous garden panorama. As you can see, everything is doing very well (especially the unwanted grass and weeds!) Jason has been hard at work and trying to get enough grass clippings from the yard to keep the weeds down. You would think with 2 acres that we would have more than enough!


I love the colors of this cabbage.


A row of cabbage.


The onions are doing very well. Right now we pick them for green onions, but soon they will be some large normal onions.


We started these tomatoes from seeds in the house. *Sniff, sniff, tear*...They are growing up so fast.

Raccoon Creek Picnic and Hike

Today we took Easton for his first picnic and hike. Easton loved it! It was nice to get out and get some fresh air.
Easton is just big enough for the backpack. He was so adorable! Here he is, already to go! Sorry, but you'll have to turn your head to the left for proper viewing of this picture.
Here are some videos for your viewing pleasure. First one is Easton giggling at his Daddy. The second is Easton sleeping on his Daddy's back.

Morning Routine

Those who know me well can tell you, I LOVE to sleep. I have had this love since I was born. My mother often will tell stories of how much I slept as a baby. I never did outgrow this love.

To ensure that I am not super crabby all day from lack of sleep, Jason gets up with Easton in the morning. It is wonderful! He brings him in to eat, and then I go back to sleep. Then about 9am or so, he'll bring him back in for the next feeding. I will generally get up about then, while Easton falls asleep eating. I just thought this was the sweetest sleeping position I have ever seen. He looks so comfy!

Backyard Work/Play

I took a series of pictures and made this panoramic picture of the garden to show you Jason's masterpiece. He has been hard at work. You can see the tomatoes to the left and cabbage next to it. In the middle, the beans are starting to come up. There are leeks and onions to the right. The zucchini and cucumbers are in the back. I will try to keep you updated on the garden as best as I can.

Jason and I were out cutting grass this morning during Easton's nap time. It's actually a nice break for me to get out of the house and get some sun. It also helps Jason get the yard done much quicker. Easton LOVES to sleep to the sound of the tractors. We go right past the stroller and he doesn't even flinch. As you can see, we park the stroller under the tree and go to work. You can see the raspberries, blackberries and grapes in the background. Or rather, you can see the blue tubes that go around the berries and grapes. Apparently the blue light increases growth by quite a bit. So not only do they protect them from the ravenous deer, they help them grow!

In the far backyard, it gets wet very easily (close to where Easton's stroller is parked in the above picture). Jason has come to conclude that there is a stream not too far below ground level. This is odd, being that the backyard is all hill. We know (because the neighbors told us) that they put in a drain for this water, that runs through our property somewhere. Anyway, I was raking the grass and I caught a crawfish. Not just any crawfish, a blue one (you can't see the color too well in this picture). I never knew they could be blue.


The crawfish come out of these holes in the yard. Jason said that he dropped a rock down one the other day and could hear a splash. He estimated that the water table was a close 6 inches away! Today we couldn't hear anything. I am sure it fluctuates a good bit with the rain.

Stuck Legs

This morning I woke up at 6am and Easton hadn't woken up yet (he went down around 8pm), so I went in to check on him. He was in this position, but sleeping. How does one get like this, and then fall back asleep?



Footnote: You may be wondering, "Why don't they have a bumper?" Bumpers are no longer recommended because it prevents proper air circulation, resulting in SIDS. They do have these mesh bumpers though, and I think it might be time to get one.

Easton's 5 Month's Old...and I am even older.

Easton is 5 Months Old (yesterday)! At his doctors appointment last week he was 17 lbs 8 oz and 27 inches long (80% and 90%). Poor Horton doesn't stand a chance against him any more. Easton can sit up much taller, but I didn't want him to topple forward, so here he is, slouched over in all his glory.

Easton is grabbing for everything these days. He gets this crazed look in his eyes and does this Frankenstein reach for whatever he is after. The funniest is when we are on the phone and he tries to grab it. It's hard to dodge those little grippers.
Easton has been a rolling over maniac lately. The last 3 times I have gotten him out of his crib, he has been on his stomach looking up at me (he goes down on his back). It is so cute!
He does spend a lot of time in this position. It takes him a couple seconds of aggravation to get his arm out from under him. He is getting much better at it though. He has yet to do the belly to back roll yet.
I have to admit, I am 25 years old today. Jason brought me breakfast in bed, complete with a mimosa and a birthday card. We planted our flowers and herbs this morning. Jason was able to get off of work, but is going to go to the Penguins game. It's not everyday you get offered play-off tickets. I am going to take Easton to my parents for dinner and stay overnight. It has been a good day.

A week in a nut shell.

So much has happened since I last posted, I don't know where to start. I guess I should start with Mother's Day and say Happy (Belated) Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. I had a nice day and a good dinner with my family. Jason and Easton got me a very nice card with a sweet note inside, a journal and some beautiful flowers from the local greenhouse. Another highlight from the day was that I didn't have to work that night. I got called off, and it was wonderful!

As you can see from the pictures. Jason got his second turkey from this spring turkey season. I thought these two pictures were hilarious because Sadie thought that she should be in the picture. Jason kept yelling at her to get out, but the more he yelled at her, the more she felt she should be in the picture. Easton wasn't feeling it though. He was tired and not quite sure about what all was going on.



This is also the day that I watched Autumn, so I had the neighbor, Olivia, come over for Autumn's entertainment. The girls did very well together. I was truly impressed. I will have to show you all the picture of the girls with their playdoh icecream cones, on another post. I thought they were ingenious.

That night Jason and I had some friends over for dinner. I have to say, I was whooped beyond belief by the end of the day, but I did enjoy it. It was a busy fun filled day.

Jason has also been working hard at putting the garden's deer fence up (which I hope will work!). And getting other posts in the ground for his grapes, raspberries and blackberries. When he's not working on that, he is cutting grass. You would think by now they could come up with some type of grass that wouldn't grow past 2 inches. That would be wonderful!

Eason has been rolling over more and more. He has yet to do a belly to back roll but he is getting pretty good at the back to belly. I feel like he is changing so much everyday now. He loves to talk, smile, grab his toys, eat his toes (as best he can), be naked, attempt to roll over and stand. He loves to do a lot of stuff, all except take long naps. I can't complain though. He does sleep very well at night, and most of the time is out by 7pm.

I have to be up super early for work tomorrow, so that will have to be it for this weeks summary. I wish that I could update more often. I just can't seem to find the time.

Morning Baby

The Big "Roll Over"

On May 1st, Friday, Easton finally rolled over. It was very slow and from his back to his front. I was about to jump up and get the video camera, but I was afraid my movement would get him off task. I did capture the post-roll over with him squirming to free his pinned arm. When I get a second, I will post that. We are very proud of him.

I think he may be going through a growth spurt because the last few days he has been eating every two hours. And now he wants to sleep a lot (which is wonderful!). So, he hasn't had a lot of floor playing time to attempt the roll over again.

I owe my brother, John, a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY! That was also on May 1st. It is amazing how scatter-brained a child can make a person, and then the first of the month just snuck up on me! So, sorry I didn't send a card, but I was thinking about you (and how old you are getting!). I hope you have a relaxing, fun-filled birthday.

Update About Life

Things have been CRAZY around here! The weather finally started to warm up...err, it got really hot. I am not complaining though. Easton and I really enjoyed it.

Jason has been running around the yard, planting things like crazy. He got in raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, asparagus and shallots. He has been quite the gardener. He deserves a break here and there, so he went out on Monday and today to hunt for turkey. He got one with his bow on Monday.


Last week Easton met Duane Rieder. http://www.riederphotography.com/ It is always fun to stop by and see Duane and everyone else that works there.

Also last week, Aunt Katie inadvertently tested out Easton's allergy to regular formula. Yep, it is still kicking strong. I was having a particularly bad day and Katie had told me to go for a walk and take a break. I came back just as Easton was taking the last sip from his bottle and Katie said, "I couldn't find your formula, so I used Hillary's." Needless to say, I went a little crazy. I stuck around for an extra hour or so to see if anything would come of it. I thought I was safe to go home after a little while. Boy, was I wrong. About 20 minutes into the ride, I heard him cough, and I turned around and saw puke spewing from his mouth. This process repeated it self over and over, about 6 times until we got home. It was awful! Once we got home, and I got him into clean clothes, we laid on the couch and he fell asleep. Poor guy. He rebounded quickly though. No damage done.

Easton also spent some quality time with Kyra on Friday and Sunday night. She just watched him for a little bit on Friday while I took some pictures. But on Sunday, he spent his first night away from Jason and I. Kyra watched him all night and then Monday morning. Jason was then able to get some sleep, go turkey hunting and then get back to his yard work. Easton really seemed to enjoy himself. And Kyra's kitten really enjoyed the warm spots Easton would create!

Just a quick pic of Easton today.


My family would enjoy this picture. I used to suck the same two fingers, for way longer than I would like to admit.

4 Months Old

Isn't he just the cutest baby?! He is officially 4 months old. I don't have any stats on him yet. His 4 month appointment isn't until he's actually about 5 months old. So those details will have to wait.

This past month he has started to change so much. His newest trick is trying to flip forward out of the car seat. He doesn't mean to, but he tries to sit up, and if wasn't for the straps, I am sure that he would do a forward flip right out. There is no more sitting on the couch. That leads to headers as well.

He has gotten really good on getting all the way over on his side. Especially during diaper changes or when he is half naked (right about the time I would least like him to do it.) He spends most of the time with his legs straight up in the air, when he is on his back. I am just waiting for the big finale roll over. It's going to take some gusto to get all of his chubba on over.

Easton always has something to say. My parents commented on how much noise he makes. He loves to "talk" and I will often times find him laughing at his toys. It is quite comical.

And baths...I it's like bathing the dogs, in the sense that I think I get wetter than he does. He kicks up both legs and slams them down, making the water go everywhere! He loves it though. He is not fond of the getting out and putting clothes back on part. That generally leads to a fairly cranky evening.


We just got the steam shower delivered. We are redoing the downstairs bathroom, and including a steam shower. Jason is very excited about it. This is him trying it out, in the box, in the garage.

Bath Time! (again)

Jason gave Easton a bath today. I thought I would share some pictures with you. I think he is turning into the most handsome little man.

It is amazing how much he changes everyday! Now when we put him in his exersaucer, he spins the wheels like a mad-man right away and then keeps it up for quite sometime. It is so much fun to watch him grow!