15 months and Thanksgiving

Another wonderful family holiday this year! Hunter had his first thanksgiving meal at my parents' house with their brand new, beautifully remodeled kitchen. Then we went to Nana Vicki's to see more family and eat some pumpkin pie.

This month Hunter has learned so many more new words, he now tries to repeat almost everything you say and surprises me with how much he understands. His favorite toys are brooms, or anything with a long stick, and balls! Anything round he sees is a "ball." He has his first favorite cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, or "Mimmie" as he calls him. All of those Disneyland trips must be paying off because he doesn't watch very much TV. Only on special occasions and rarely mickey mouse. He also recognizes Santa Clause "Danta" as he calls him. And I am excited to see how he reacts to sitting on his lap this year. I remember saying "I can't wait until Christmas next year" and now its here! Time is flying by so fast. I have such great memories of the advent calendar my mom always pulled out in december. Everyday we would wake up and there would be a note in the day of the month it was, and in the note was a special activity we would do that day. So I have continued the tradition thinking Hunter wouldn't really understand enough, but every morning we head downstairs and he starts saying "danta" immediately and runs straight to the calendar to pull out his note. So far we have visited Great-Grandma, read a Christmas story, and today we are going to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Just little things we would probably do anyway, but it makes it so much more exciting when we make a big deal out of it.:)

14 months and Halloween

Chase has been gone every week this month to Sacramento finishing up a big job. Luckily he made it home in time for Halloween. Hunter was a monkey this year and enjoyed pulling candy out of his bucket and walking around in his costume. We went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood for a little while then headed over to Crossroads Church with Monte and Nancy. They were holding a huge "trunk-or-treat" which I had never heard of before. Its where all the cars park and decorate their trunks in themes and pass out candy. So we just walked in a big line, car to car, seeing all the creative costumes and decorations. They had music playing and food stands, bounce houses, it was amazing.

Earlier this month we went to Tom's Farms out here in Corona for the pumpkin patch with "Nana" (Vicki), which is where we took this great picture of Hunter.

Hunter has also added a few more words to his list including nana, papa, uh-oh, and no. Nana has the following meanings: 1. grandma vicki 2. phone 3. banana (his absolute favorite food, you cannot let him see one or he wont give up until you let him eat the whole thing, he's obsessed! and forget about going down the produce aisle in the grocery store. he will yell NANANANANA when he sees them and point until you go over to them, its a crack up.)

13 months

It has been one hot summer this year and I am so happy that some fall weather has started to appear. September has been a fun month with Hunter's birthday, a few Disneyland trips, the LA county fair, Chase has been working in town 2 weeks in a row, birthday parties and weddings.



Hunter had his 1 year check up and he weighs a whopping 27 pounds, and is 33 1/4 inches tall! He has remained in the 97th+ percentile throughout this first year in both weight and height. He has been saying "mama" constantly for the past few months but has recently added "dada" to his vocabulary. The two most important words in the english language, to me at least. :) He does a few tricks on command, (most of the time) like clap, wave, kiss, hug, pat, stomp, dance, and he knows where his head and tummy are. He knows his "monkey" and "hippo" stuffed animals if you ask him to get them, his fire truck, books, ball, train, car, blocks, and bucket. He loves playing with all of his birthday gifts except he has a fear of riding in or on anything. I'm sure he will warm up to the idea though soon.

He is officially eating regular family meals, meaning no more baby food, but still with restrictions, and still on his schedule. I replaced his bottle with his sippy cup with absolutely no struggle within about 2 weeks. How did I get so lucky to have such an easy going kid?

We joined Gymboree now that he is a year old, which is a class once a week where he can play and learn with other kids his age. At first he would just push and pull hair and steal toys away but now he's gotten used to it and thinks he rules the climbing tower. Its amazing watching his personality form and seeing him grow into a little boy.

Dr. Suess 1st Birthday Party!

Happy Birthday, Hunter!

One whole year has flown by us already. One whole year since bringing him home from the hospital and starting our new lives as a family of three. I never knew one year could bring so many blessings and happy memories. I always knew I wanted to be a mom to a child but I never realized how much I wanted a child for myself, if that makes any sense. I feel like the term "my cup runneth over" is the only thing that comes close to the love I have for this little boy. He has made me a new person and taught me to love like I never imagined possible. A love that can instantly bring happy tears to my eyes and an ache that only his hug can cure. Happy birthday to my angel!!!!!

11 Months

One more month and Hunter will be a year old. I can't believe that time has gone by so fast. Hunter is walking everywhere and anywhere his little mind can take him. He likes to push and pull things around and loves playing in the water. Especially the hose.



Fourth of July was great, our Big Bear camping trip was a success and Chase even caught a few fish with his bow and arrow.
We are excitedly planning his Dr. Seuss themed birthday party and looking forward to his big day.

10 months

We have a walker!!! Yep, on the 24th Hunter took his first confident steps and by the evening he could walk across the room. He is doing so well and is still such a happy boy. His seventh tooth came in a week or so ago and he is eating pureed meat with his meals now. He also learned how to wave and clap his hands. Every night before bed we have story time and he loves to turn the pages, and tries to grab all of the pictures.


We all enjoyed Chase's first fathers day this year, we took Hunter to church for the first time, then had a nice BBQ at our new house with our families. Looking forward to Hunter's first camping trip this weekend for the 4th of July at Big Bear.

9 months

This overdue post is due to our wonderful new house. We were without internet and time for the past few weeks and now as I am sitting here looking at a bunch of unpacked boxes, I decided this takes priority :) Hunter has adapted well to our new home and I look forward to making use of our large new backyard and community park at the end of the block. Once we are all organized and settled I will post some pictures. Hunter now weighs a whopping 25 pounds and is 31 inches tall. Tall, not long. I say that because he is mostly vertical these days. He pulls himself up with ease on whatever he can get his hands on and moves to the next item. He crawls quite a bit too, but prefers to stand. He has 6 teeth total now and his hair is getting blonder by the day. He has learned to wave and as of today can clap his hands. Hunter is getting more affectionate with tight hugs and will pull on your clothes as he reaches up if he wants to be held. There are still no signs of stranger anxiety as he smiles and "talks" to anyone who pays him any attention.

Chase is still loving his job and has been sent on a few out of town trips. The three of us went to his company picnic over the weekend and it shows that he is very much respected and liked by all of his coworkers and bosses. He earned a spot on a fishing trip to Mexico with the owner and 6 other workers, which he is very excited about. Everything is going well and as long as our air conditioning holds out, we are ready for a very fun summer.

8 months

Hunter is now mobile and it seems like instead of being happy about it, he is frustrated he can't move faster. I see so much of Chase in him already. :) He isn't quite crawling on hands and knees yet, but he pulls himself forward on his tummy. He is also walking along the side of the furniture and sometimes dares to let go. He is obsessed with the trashcan and laughs at me when I tell him "no". Oh boy.
But he is still a very happy kid and smiles all the time. His top two teeth came in on the 19th and 23rd. Exactly 2 months to the day of the 2 bottom teeth. He enjoys biting anything and everything in sight, and has learned how to pull hair with exceptional strength.
To say I am enjoying these months is an understatement. I am still treasuring every minute while my baby is still a baby, because by my next post he may be a toddler.

short clip

i like to call this.. SlipOnSpitUp

7 months

Not too much new to report this month. Hunter is getting bigger by the day and cuter if that is at all possible :) He is constantly wanting to be on the move without the ability to do so yet. Still no crawling but he takes steps if you hold his hands and guide him around. If he is sitting down playing with a toy, he wants the toy on the other side of the room. When he gets that toy, he wants the one he had before, and so on. He sure is a happy kid, though. He now is smiling at strangers in the grocery store lines and has just picked up screaming for the fun of it. We took him in the pool for the first time and I think he liked it. At first he liked splashing around until he splashed himself in the face one too many times. But overall, I think he likes the water and enjoyed floating around in his little boat. Easter was wonderful and we got to spend time with our amazing families.





Chase's job is still going great, he is really enjoying the variety of tasks and all of his coworkers. In fact, he has shared his fascination of remote control cars with these guys and now a bunch of them have a new hobby. :)

6 month pics

Hunter and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Went to the mall to get six month pictures taken. Hunter wasn't in the mood but somehow the girl got 2 good ones. While we were waiting to view the pics, Hunter's stroller took a spill in the Macy's bathroom hallway. He was strapped in but the whole stroller tipped over with him in it. I have no idea how that happened. We suppose one of the wheels got stuck on a wall when it was coming around the corner. He got a big red bump on his forehead and we took him to the ER to make sure he was ok. They said he was and to keep an eye on him for the rest of the evening. The most traumatizing day of my life. Woke up this morning, there is no bump and no red, no bruise. Thank God. I realized I need to work on my strength in moments of crisis, thank you Mom, Grandma, and Andrew for being there to hold me together:) The doctor welcomed me to life with a boy and I am just now realizing the power of fear that comes with parenting.

6 months

Wow, where do I start? This has been a very exciting and productive month. First of all, Hunter has 2 tiny little teeth! The first one popped up on the 19th and the second about 4 days later. He hasn't really been very fussy. There were a few times he would cry with both hands in his mouth and I thought he might be hurting, but as soon as I distracted him with a toy he would stop. What a tough little guy.
He is laughing all the time now and his eyes are still a grey blue.



He loves bouncing in his johnny jump up and sitting in his walker that looks like a car. He doesn't really go anywhere in it, but he likes the view from up there I think. :)




There is still no creeping or crawling yet, but he is sitting up really well now. I still need to be right there if he starts to tip, but he's doing a lot better on his own. I'm able to put him in the shopping cart seats now too as long as he's strapped in tight. Way better than his infant carrier balanced up there, that always scared me. Unfortunately he has outgrown the convenience of his infant carrier but is adapting well to his new big boy carseat. :)
He is eating 2 servings each of cereal, fruits and vegetables a day and hasn't given me any trouble over anything, oh except he didn't like peas the first few times he tried them and made funny faces and spit them back out but now he eats them just fine. He is drinking from a sippy cup on his own, I'll usually give him a few ounces of water with a tiny bit of apple juice at lunch or dinner but he never finishes it. I think he likes biting and playing with it more than drinking out of it.



He is still napping really well, I put him in his crib at naptimes sleepy but still awake and he hardly ever fusses or cries and sleeps about 1 1/2 to 2 hours each. Also continues to sleep through the night 8-7. Doctors appt. will be next week and I am taking him to get some pictures taken as well. My mom, Grandma and I have begun taking him to Disneyland every once in a while since we all have passes. We have taken him on a few rides so far, but to be honest, I don't know if he realizes the difference between a ride and his stroller or a tram. Oh well, he will soon I guess. I think its more fun for us anyway :)

5 months

Hunter turned 5 months today and here are his latest: he is now happily eating 3 servings a day of rice cereal. He hated it the first few weeks and i got the ok from the doctor to try apple juice mixed in and now he loves it. I hope this doesn't affect his eating other foods, we will find out soon enough. Also, he is rolling over all the time now. I put him down on his back, I turn around and he is on his tummy facing the other direction with a big smile on his face. Time to get the playpen back out :) He giggles a lot but only when he's in the mood. Particularly during diaper changes. He laughs when I tickle him or tell him I'm going to tickle him, when i blow on his tummy or nuzzle his neck. His laugh makes me melt. His favorite toy is a ring with a rubber ball and smaller rings attatched to it. That or his hands are in his mouth at all times. Still no teeth though. I love watching him grow and learning new things, but I already feel like he is growing up too fast.

Chase is working a ton these days. He loves his job and the hours don't seem to bother him. He and his new coworkers and boss became instant friends and he's already gotten great reviews from the crew supervisors. I am so proud of him. I wish you all could see the smile Hunter gets on his face when he sees his dad come home from work. He wont look anywhere else in the room.

get a tissue

2 prayers answered in 1 week!

Yes, this week's been a good one for the Ehrlich household. First, Chase got a great new job! The electrical industry has been painfully slow for some time now and Chase had been trying to find a new job since before Thanksgiving. Finally he stumbled upon WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES (WIS). They were interviewing many people over the past week or so and Chase and one other guy got hired. He will be a field technician and although I dont know a whole lot about the job yet, he was informed that he will be required to work at a height of 500 feet! That, and the average work week is between 50 and 80 hours! If anyone I know can do this job and have fun at it, its Chase. He is so excited and thankful that he has been given this opportunity and can't wait to get started.

Our second miracle of the week is that Monte, Chase's dad has been diagnosed cancer free! He and his wife, Nancy are celebrating on a trip in Hawaii for the next 9 days.

It may be pouring thunderstorms outside right now, but nobody's rainin' on our parade!

HA

Cereal is as much fun as I hoped it would be. He hasn't gotten much of it down yet, but its fun to try. :)

4 months

Just got back from the 4 month checkup with Hunter's pediatrician. He is 17.8 lbs ( 90th percentile) and 27 inches long (97th percentile). He is in perfect health and we will start on rice cereal tomorrow morning, which I am really excited to see. He smiles constantly now and giggles if you tickle his neck or put his feet near his head. I haven't got a good video of that yet, but I will keep trying. Lately, he has begun bringing his knees to his chest and rolling from side to side. He can roll over from front to back if his arm is underneath him. Also, teething may be just around the corner because he is drooling quite a bit more these days. I don't know how it's possible, but I love him more every single day. If I wore lipstick, his skin would be permanently stained. I have little interest in tv, cleaning, laundry, pretty much everything because I just want to be playing with him all the time. Thank goodness for his naps or I really wouldn't ever do anything else. :) To sum it up, I'm treasuring every moment and not missing a thing.