Learning+ some cute video's of Ethan

Here are some cute video's of Ethan I thought I'd add.

Every friday Lisa, a speech therapist, comes to help Ethan with his communication. I really like her, and Ethan seems to really like her also. This last week Ethan has really had a jump in words he is able to sign and today when Lisa came he was so good, and I was so proud of him. He was even starting to put words together to form sentences! For example, Lisa had this cat toy that she brought for the first time, and she was able to get Ethan to sign "more cat" when he wanted to play with it. He even was willing to share it with her, so she would take it, say cat, and then he would sign "more cat" and we would cheer and hand it back to him. It's really cute when he signs cat, because he puts his hand up to his cheek and gets this really cute smile on his face. These are the words that Ethan can now sign on his own without much help: drink, please, more, dog, cat, up, banana, ball, babies, shoes, movie, book, and quack. It's a very nice feeling to see him communicating, and see that he is learning to differenciate between words. I'm very proud.

Ryan has a new job

Ryan accepted an accounting job with Gordon Paving, a company in Twin Falls, he starts next week. So we will be staying in the Twin Falls area, at least for a while.

He Spoke!!!!

The other night when I was reading Ethans book with him, I was teaching him signs for the different things in the book. I was working on cat with him, which he seemed to like when I helped him sign it. I pointed to the picture and said "say cat", wanting him to sign it. he fidgeted and then signed cup, and please, and then all of a sudden said "Dat". I was ecstatic, but not really sure that he had really meant cat. I took him upstairs to try to get him to do it again for Grandpa, and he did, and Grandma and Ryan both agreed that they heard it to. He hasn't said it again since then but I was still excited. Today when he was done with his lunch he came and got me because he wanted something more to eat. I asked him if he wanted a banana, and he signed banana for the first time on his own, and then when I put him in his seat and asked him again if he wanted a banana he said "na-nanna". I jumped up and down and was really excited. Now, several months ago he did learn to say Daddy, but then he stopped saying it in reference to Ryan, and now he never says it at all. I'm hoping that with more prodding and work he will retain these words.

Working Hard

A month ago I went into the doctor for a check up, and discovered something frustrating- I'd gained 11 lbs. I have low self confidence as it is, so gaining weight doesn't help. I decided that I needed to really work out, but what clinched it for me was when I went to buy a pair of jeans, and I was several jean sizes over what I wanted to be. I couldn't make myself buy the jeans that fit, and went instead with a size smaller that was very tight in the waist and determined to work out until I could fit into them. Ryan's sister Tonya is into health and exercise, and so I got some good ideas from her on the best way to work out and get in shape. so for the last three weeks I've been really good at working out each day- I do cardio for an hour, then resistence exercises (weights, etc.) for 10-15 min and then stretch. It's very hard to do it each day, and I'm thoroughly exhausted afterwords. I also cut out soda (I sneak a drink of Ryans every once in a while) and tried to resist ice cream. I also tried to make my portions at dinner smaller. After 3 weeks of doing this routine (I skipped the weekends on exercising because I was really tired) I weighed myself and was happy and surprised to find that I'd lost 9lbs. So, I lost most of the weight that I wanted to, but my waist still looks like play dough. I know it takes time to get in shape, I seriously didn't expect it to happen over night, but I still worry that the stomach is there to stay, courtesy of having a baby. I could post a picture of my squishy stomach, but I'll spare all of you. Working out has helped a lot with giving me something constructive to do with my time, and helping me feel better in general. I want to add that I know there are people bigger than me, and I know that i'm not obese or anything. I just want to be able to feel good when I look in the mirror. I don't need killer abs, or to be a size 0 (I also want to add that I was never a size 0, and I'm glad-well I might have been in 9th grade but I don't know, I was pretty scrawny), I just want to fit into most of my clothes again (i've given up on some of them). I am happy though, cause my pants do fit a little better (I think they strectched, they are stretchy material).

Three posts today, starting with my new easle

Ryan found a really nice easle at Cains, the furniture store that he works at. It's odd that they had an easle for sale, since generally you wouldn't expect them to have art furniture. Since Cains is having their going out of business sale, Ryan was able to get it for a pretty good price, and I'm VERY proud of it. So, it's my very early christmas present. Ryan tried to say that I couldn't have it until Christmas, but there was no way I was going to go along with that. It is the perfect size and the part that your rest the painting/drawing on can be adjusted. I haven't started painting/drawing on it yet, but I'm anxious to. I haven't had a moment to start, being busy with ethan and household stuff, and I don't really want to make a mess in my room with painting/drawing suplies, but I am anxious to use it, so one of these days i'm going to break everything out and make a mess. The picture I took of the easle definately doesn't do it justice. It even has some designs carved into it. I love it.

Camping trip to Swan Valley

Here's some pictures from the Anderson family camping trip we had a while ago up in the swan valley area. It was a really fun trip, and the waterfall was beautiful. I'd been up to that area several years ago, in college, and I'd forgoten how pretty the falls and valley were. Some time i'd like to be able to go back and spend time painting. We were rained on, but luckily we had a tarp to keep dry under. Ryan's brother Shawn ended up out in the rain, though, holding a tarp up over the dutch oven so we would be able to eat. We were all very appreciative of his sacrifice! :)

Chewing nails and slouching

Yesterday when I was playing with Ethan I noticed something new. I was chewing on my nails, a bad habit I've always had, and I looked over at Ethan and he was copying me. He had this funny look on his face, and he was watching me very intently as he put his little finger nail up to his teeth and started to try and chew on it like mommy. I was like...dang it! So now I've realized he's really started to notice the things i'm doing, so i'll have to be more careful. Today I was sitting on the couch watching a show, and he came over and climbed up beside me, and seriously, he slouched down in the couch just the way I was sitting. They grow up too quickly. Now I'm going to have to try to be more aware of everything that i'm doing.