A "Pre" Party

We have a lot to celebrate right now...David's new job, his masters degree (he's amazing) Moving across the country, Ethan's first birthday etc. so we decided to throw ourselves a party. We invited our families for a BBQ, made them pay for most of the food, and enjoyed their company thoroughly. So here are a few "pre" pictures since technically all of the things that we were celebrating haven't officially come to pass...

Decided to coordinate as a family in honor of the master's graduate from Boise State!!!!!!

Ethan hasn't quite figured out facial hair...not sure whether it scares or just confuses him

Staring at Uncle Leif's scruff! 

So I made a special monkey cake just for Ethan's eating pleasure, and he usually is the messiest little boy, who delights in rubbing food all over himself AFTER he's thoroughly played with it, then thrown whatever remains on his hands, to the ground. So I was SHOCKED when he seemed uninterested in the cake...he just sat there looking at it, and smiling at us...

Then he played with his toes a little bit

Then finally after some coaxing from Dad and uncle Andy, and encouraging words from the expectant crowd, the show began...

He decided he liked the taste enough to dig in and then lick his fingers....

And he ended it with a BANG! I mean this picture is everything I ever hoped to get at his first birthday

All in all I'd say a great Pre-birthday, Pre-graduation and moving party! Success is ours!

Animal in the Wild

Sooooo... we went to the zoo a couple of days ago, and yes as you can imagine we were probably more excited to go than Ethan, since he doesn't know what a zoo is. But by the end we were pretty sure the zoo was a big hit for everyone! Ethan found himself in his natural habitat- you'd probably think he was raised with the animals, but we love our little puppy/monkey and he performed admirably in all areas of our expectations at the zoo, so see for yourself...here's our little wild animal!

We started telling him first thing in the morning that he was going to the zoo...I think he started to get the idea...maybe

I'm going to the zoo!!!!!! Love his face (Mine is goofy:)

He tried to get into all of the animal enclosures...

Please Dad I know how to get in here...let me go

We were so excited for the penguins since he loves water so much!

We discovered he REALLY likes bark and dirt...little boy through and through!

He tried to eat a goat at the petting zoo...

Ethan:  Hmmm.. an unknown...I must put it in my mouth-
David: No Ethan you can't eat it

Ethan:  ok Dad I'll just pet it

Ethan:  Yeah right! Attack!!!!

He couldn't believe that the komodo dragon would sleep through his visit, so he pounded on the glass

Until it woke up!!!! HAHAHA

He also decided to get a head start on charming the ladies...I'm not sure his tactics worked...

Looks like his charm only brought her to tears...but at least he enjoyed himself! lol

And last but not least...have I mentioned that he likes to drive, wait let me rephrase that, LOVES to drive, is OBSESSED with steering wheels...this old jeep is on the way out of the zoo and I thought we'd never be able to get him off it once he spotted it!

DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE!!!

So basically the zoo was everything we could have dreamed, we got all the delightful pictures I wanted, all the fun reactions we were after, and we learned that the "animal" within every boy just needs to be let out. Squirming, growling, rock throwing, dirt eating, girl tormenting, and being all around WILD is just a part of their nature...so to everyone out there with boys, EMBRACE the animal within and just go with it!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this little boy!!!

Sure do love my puppy-monkey-dinosaur baby...yes I'm sure we created the perfect hybrid child of destruction, but he is awfully sweet when he wants to be and he knows how to suck up to his Mama...yes he does have me wrapped around his little finger!

The Last month in review

So I've been a little out of touch with blogging for the last month- maybe I just lost the drive, maybe I wasn't sure if people really wanted to see that many pictures of my baby, or maybe (and this is the one I hope it was) I just got caught up in being a mom and had no time for anything else...so here are a few fun pics from the last month

First off Ethan decided he is just too busy to breastfeed so he weaned himself, but as you can see even a bottle puts a cramp in his playtime- it's kind of like feeding a baby calf- I am almost convinced that if we didn't make him eat he'd just play and play until he completely ran out of juice and keeled over!

The only things he is interested in taking time to eat, are things that seem important to me, so since I was cutting up the other pepper, he must have thought that I was eating it, so he would eat one too...

If you can't tell, he didn't like it at all, however he kept at it..

And kept at it some more...

And just decided that he would bite it, then remove the piece from his mouth, throw it to the ground, then bite off another chunk! Needless to say there was quite a mess all over the kitchen floor!

I also discovered two different toys that I NEED, yes I said NEED, for Ethan- number one...Little people barn with animal sounds and a giant Lego table...these so far seem to be the only things that have kept him entertained for more than 2 seconds other than electrical outlets and cords! I discovered the lego table while on an outing to Carter's outlet...

That's a face of pure bliss

He literally spent the whole time at this table while I browsed- it was great and he was completely content...I have got to get one of these so I can actually get chores done around the house!

And I suppose the last thing to add for this little blog...the most important thing that happened this whole past month...Ethan got EVEN CUTER!!! I wasn't sure it was possible, but it happened!

Such a little clown- he's always making faces...no question he's David's son!

Please excuse my armpit- I was trying to get him to smile at the camera and his attempted smile cracks me up! Little mister personality!

He just keeps transforming into a little boy - I can't hardly believe he's not really my BABY anymore- but I love the little bundle of boy he's becoming!

Oh and P.S. exciting Zoo adventures blog to come...it will be epic!

Weekend adventures

So there really aren't a ton of pictures of me with my little boy, but this weekend David went crazy with the camera- so I thought I'd share our weekend story, just so everyone knows I really do exist!

Just before my hair change...I can't believe how long my hair was!

Trying to get Ethan to pose with me for a picture to show off my new hair...it was hard work!

Not too bad in the end though!

And on to our bubble blowing adventure at the Municipal Park...the lighting was weird due to the eclipse

I had to keep moving away from him but he kept trying to attack the bubble wand...

aaaand still following me- also his new thing is that he always has to be touching me...sweet but sometimes a little much!

His concentrating face...

Our little family

Love this pic!

 Yes he does smile but this is after I decided to sit in the front of the car on the way to the park instead of sitting back by him...it didn't go well- and he didn't get over it for a while

Part of his happy dance...

the hat only stayed on this long because he 'forgot' it was there

this is what usually happens when I try to take a picture of him- ATTACK!

Oh yeah- I just remembered you put a hat on my head and I hate hats...

So there it is in a nutshell, another great Hegstrom weekend...nothing incredible so to speak, but man we have a GREAT life!