Ethan Oliver's busy, busy house!

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, thus the blogging silence. Between a trip to Atlanta with just Ethan and me (more on that in an upcoming post) and a lot going on at school, I just haven't had time to sit down and write about all we've been up to. So here's a brief catch-up.

Classes are going well. We're rapidly approaching midterm, but since I have no midterms, that doesn't mean much. However, it does mean that I don't have to go to class at all next week due to mid-semester reading week. So yay! The past couple of weeks have involved a lot of work, though. From papers to exegetical questions to a presentation, all on top of seemingly endless reading, I've been staying up late and working through naps trying to get it all done. And so far I have, though I'm ashamed to say cleaning the house sometimes gets left behind, hopefully to be made up on weekends. I've done well with cooking dinner, still, so that's something at least, and the crock pot and I have become BFFs. I know this will all be worth it when I have that degree in my hand, but it seems like such a long road to get there. And that's partially literal since the commute is probably the worst part, mainly because it feels like pointless time away from Ethan.

So how is Ethan adjusting to the change now? First of all, he LOVES his sitter. Like, to the point that he will reach for her when I'm holding him. Clara has finally gotten the diapering down for the most part, and she accepted the challenge of getting him down for his afternoon nap on Wednesdays with gusto. Speaking of the afternoon nap, things have finally gotten closer to normal. He still cries when he's put down, but it's down to just a minute or two on most days. So I think he's finally adjusting. I hope.

In more general terms, Ethan is just awesome. For the past week or so, he's been sleeping late in the mornings, once even till 8:15! I figured this would mean a decrease in naps, but he's still taking a 1.25 hour nap in the morning and takes at least a 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon, though lately it's been closer to 2.5 hours! He's also been extremely cuddly since we got back from Atlanta and gives kisses AND hugs on demand now. The kitties have been subject to this extra-cuddliness, too, and his favorite new thing to do is run up to them, wrap his arms around them, and bury his head in their fur. He also waves anytime someone says "Say bye-bye/night-night!," waves at animals he sees on our walks, and even waved at a neighbor who waved from her passing car! He has now said "bye-bye" in front of both Grandmama and Clara, but he's yet to say it within earshot of his mommy and daddy. The little mischief!

Before this turns into one of my usual novels, I'll wrap this up with promises of a picture-filled post about our Atlanta trip, plus the next installment of "Mommy Must Haves." If I can ever find the time!