Picture of the Day

Life is rough.

Arizona Fun!

Ahhhhhhhh!

Mmmmmm, water!

Just me and my Uncle Zane.

We jetted off to Arizona last Thursday for the Annual Grandparent Visit. My Mom met us at the airport and we proceed to make ourselves at home at her house...and at the pool (thanks Uncle Zane for getting us in for FREE!). Nathan has LOVED the warm weather and being able to spend all day outdoors. Grandma Frentheway has a pretty large backyard with a pool, a really nice swing set and lots and lots of rocks to fill the fountain. Tomorrow we trek up to Scottsdale to stay 3 days with Grand-Mom and Grand-Dad. That will surely bring more fun in the pool and the Arizona sun!

Mmmmm, Dirt!

Contemplative

Photo Fun

Time Out

The Time Out Corner. We don't use it too often, but as you can see, he has quickly gotten the hang of the purpose for it. I will say that Nathan in Time Out is quite possibly the sweetest thing ever. I know, I know, it isn't supposed to be a sweet thing. It is supposed to be "a teaching tool" and it is...but the little guy will quietly go there, stick his nose in the corner, and about half way through will start picking at the bricks. It is bittersweet.

Just Because...

...I adore it! :)

Picture of the Day

SPRING is SPRINGING!

On the hunt!

An orange one!

What do I do with it??

You people tucker me out!

Aunt Sue had Easter dinner at her house, and they had a nice little Easter Egg Hunt, just for Nathan. I think it is an understatement to say that he LOVED IT! He got so excited at finding the eggs, and then seeing what was inside of them (candy and money!). It tuckered him right out on the way home!

Hoppy Easter!

Ready for church!

Mom cleans up well!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Picture Of The Day

Grand-Mom and Grand-Dad,
Hope this puts a smile on your face today. :)
Love, Nathan

Half Naked

It has been brought to my attention that the majority of photos posted on this blog are of Nathan, with either only pants on, or only a shirt on. I kind of started to realize that a few weeks ago...and wondered why most of our photos of him are of him half clothed (or half naked, however you choose to look at it).

Basically, the child enjoys being naked. He has yet to learn how to take off his clothes (he knows the process, just doesn't quite realize that he can do it himself if he really tried). I am sure that once he does learn that "skill", there will be many more photos of him half naked.

So...I guess just get used to it. :)

Reflections

This photo really pulls at my heart strings. I LOVE that you can see Jonathon in the reflection in the door, as Nathan is looking in. It kind of speaks of generations or of what Nathan might become...maybe even what Jonathon once was.

Is it time to go inside yet?

This was just a cute picture. Taken after he made the snow angel. I think the experience of having to lie down in the snow scarred him for life. He was ready to go in after that.

Ugh Snow!

Checking out the snow.


Dad dumping the snow on top of Nathan (what a nice guy he is!). Nathan loved it!


Making his first snow angel.


So, it snowed buckets last weekend here in Louisville. Yes, SNOWED! In March!!! The weekend before, everyone had started thinking of where they were going to put all the snow boots, coats, sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, gloves, hats, and heaters...in lieu of the shorts, tank tops, swim shoes, trunks, suits, flip flops and froo froo dinks with umbrellas in them.. It was beginning to look a lot like Spring time. Alas, Mother Nature and Father Time had other plans (I HATE it when they go against MY plan, by the way!!)...and decided to give the city of Louisville a nice little wake-up call...AND all those school age kids one more day off. It dumped buckets...for Louisville that is (family out in the Prairies of Wyoming and the Mountains of Utah, you would have laughed at the "dusting" we got!). Regardless...it did give us a chance to take Nathan outside to play in the snow. We did realize that we are soooo unprepared for snow. Meaning, none of us have boots or matching gloves and hats and coats (because matching is SOOO important). Jonathon and I aren't that big of a deal, but poor Nathan had like two outfits on, just to stay warm. He DID have a nice warm coat and hat and gloves. Next year though, we will need to make sure we get some boots. Oh and snow paraphernalia...such as...a sled...?!



Oh yes, and one more thing....Nathan LOVED the snow...except when he had to touch it. ;)



Oh and another thing...it totally makes me want to live in Utah so that we can go sledding with The Frentheway Crew, and so Nathan can learn to ski (of course, that desire to live in Utah, in the cold, lasted about long enough to have the thought and then the desire turned to wanting to live in Arizona where we didn't ever have to deal with the cold took over.).

Meet Liam!

Hey Everyone! Jen has posted some very very cute photos of Nathan and Liam, from their visit here a couple of weekends ago. Go check them out! You won't be sorry! :)

Thanks Jen!

Company from the East

It has been busy around here at the ICE house. Hence the lack of posts...but hopefully, things have calmed down, some, and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Aside from watching Clara (read below) for a few days, we also had our friends, the Ninos come in for a couple of days. For those of you keeping track...this would be Liam Nino, who is about a month older than Nathan. Boy, did they have a grand time! Two boys...with LOTS of energy...running around!!! :) It was so fun to see them interact and play off of each other. Unfortunately, I am not very good at the action shots...and thus failed to get a good (read: non-blurry) photo of them...well, in action. SO, Jen (or Matias), if you happened to get one, either send it on over, or post it for all to see :).

We also started swimming lessons today. I took Nathan swimming a couple of months ago, and it about scared the crap out of me. I think I did write about it. But to recap...the child does not understand that he cannot swim. I don't quite think he grasps what exactly swimming is, and what it is used for (umm, to keep you alive in the water!). The entire time he pushes me away, not wanting to be in my arms...but we all know that if I let him go, he will sink, and well...that wouldn't be ideal at all. So, swimming lessons started today. I am SO glad that they are only 30 minutes!!! He was good...for the most part, but man is he strong, and he is getting big...and I am not growing anymore (well, except if I keep eating the chocolate ice cream...then I might continue to grow in lbs), and so, he is catching up to me. Anyways, what I am trying to say is that it is a work out! However, today, Nathan was dunked three times (I know...EVIL!). He didn't mind it too much. I think he was more annoyed that I wasn't letting him play on his own (i.e. SINK), than being dunked under water.

HE did have his 18 month well-check. He checked out great. I need to update the stats on the right, but basically he is:

weight: 29.08 lbs
height: 33 1/4 inches

that is 75%-90% range. The Doc was super impressed with his speech, and was SUPER SUPER impressed that he said "the other door", which is considered to be a three word sentence, which apparently they shouldn't start doing until well after 2. We have a chatterbox (and boy do we!!!). :) He didn't get any shots, so it was basically strip down, weigh, measure height, listen to heart, check ears...and you are on your way! We didnt have to go back until he is two, which sadly enough seems so very close already!

On the funny side...we were riding in the car last Monday, and I looked back at Nathan (through the mirror...i did NOT take my eyes off the road! ;)), and asked him how he was doing. His reply "headache" and he touched his head. Umm, yeah, not sure where he learned that one, but it was quite cute (and I don't think he REALLY had a headache). Anyways, it is amazing what he picks up. I heard someone once say "It is amazing how your kids show you how you really are". That is SOO true...and scary...and it definitely keeps me in line and my emotions in check.

Itching for Summer

See, he broke out the sunglasses!

SO Much Fun!

Twice the Fun

So, last week, I was asked to watch our friends (the Crawford's) little girl, Clara. Clara is about 2 1/2 months younger than Nathan. So, basically, the same age. I was excited to do it...a. to help Stacey out (anytime!), and b. to see how Nathan (and me, of course) would deal with another child running around (no, I do NOT have any news to tell you). Anyways, the three days went really well, and I was very surpised at how smoothly they went. Nathan was a teeny, tiny bit jealous at times, but he was a very good boy and didnt hit, push or bite Clara at all! Clara is SUCH an easy going little girl (very serious as well), and she only whined for her mom once or twice. :) The above pictures are just a little inkling of what the week was like :)

Is it Spring Yet?

Weeee! (Part 2)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Mmmm, Tastey!

Recently, Nathan has begun putting things in his mouth (thats not new), and just letting them hang there. Like...his "guy" in the picture above. He just walks around with it hanging in his mouth. He does this with straws, if he gets one, or his toothbrushes (yes brushES!). It is actually quite entertaining...and I am not sure where he gets it. Unless it is hereditary from his father who has this thing with chewing on stuff. Straws, soda can tops, soda bottle tops, ice...anything that he can chew on (I am actually VERY suprised that Jonathon was never a smoker). Interesting that something like that could be passed down...or actually that Nathan has picked up on that from Jonathon and is imitating it, which is probably the case.

Weeeeee! (Part 1)

Just ONE More (today)...

Picture(s) Of The Day

I've Got A Friend In You...

Last week, Nathan and I met up with my good friend Liz and her son Keaton, at the mall. It was one of those super cold days, were all four of us were so sick of our houses that we HAD to get out and do something...anything...even going to the mall and letting the kids run up and down. At one point, we all decided to go and grab some lunch, so Liz told Keaton to get Nathan because we were going to have lunch together. Keaton went and "got" Nathan. He grabbed his hand and held onto it until we got to our table. It was very sweet. Good buddies in the making!

(Thank you, Liz, for bringing your camera!)

Box of Tricks

Last weekend, Nathan's Grand-Mom (Gerwing) bought us some really nice toy boxes (not really toy boxes per se...but that is what we are using them for.) at Target. Last night I enlisted Nathan's help to organize and "put his toys away" in the new toy boxes...as you can see...he tried very hard to get ALL his toys in there...including his Elmo chair!

Oh Sweet! A New Chair!

Nathan got a new toy over the weekend...as you can see it is NOT a chair or a seat of any kind. Although, Nathan sure likes to believe it is...or I think he just wants to BE one of the Little People in the cars that go down the ramp/slide/garage thing. He keeps trying to get into the elevator as well...

That kid! ;) Always entertaining....

Rash Update

Well, after five days of Nathan having a rash, I thought I should take him to the Doc, just to ease my mind that I wasnt giving him something that would cause it (selfish...right?). Anyways, the Doc still hadnt a clue as to what the rash is. The redness of the rash has gone away, but the rash itself hasnt. His normally very smooth, soft, baby skin is now like sand paper. And when I say sand paper, I really mean...it feels like sand paper. The Doc though that maybe it was just a side affect of the cold that he had...which, by the way, has settled into his ears and he now has ear infections.

Lovely. It is a good thing, though, that Nathan seems completely oblivious to all of this. His disposition has not changed at all! He doesnt pull at his ears at all, he doesnt even seem to notice the infection.

So, yeah, antibiotics for 10 days, and hopefully he will be a perfect bill of health at his 18 month well check. :)

We Have a Rash...

So...out of nowhere, Nathan has come down with some sort of rash. It all started on Wednesday evening after we got home from Nan and Paps' house. That night he barely slept (me too!) because his nose was real stuffed up and he couldn't breath. It has continued off and on for the last couple of days. It isn't clogged, as the box of Kleenex that we have gone through proves that he is not "stopped up" (as they say around these parts). I have just assumed it is a very minor cold, or just something due to teething or the extreme cold that we have had the last few days. Well, today he woke up with a tiny resemblance of a rash, and it has progressively gotten worse as the day has gone on. This picture is from this evening, around 7pm. The rash is on his back and on his chest...it does not go down his arms or legs at all, and isn't on his face. It does look much like the rash he had a few months ago ("strep")...but I don't honestly think he has "strep" again, if he even had it last time. He does not seem to mind the rash...as he still manages to run around and is in good spirits. Though, I do not think he FULLY feels up to par, as he has been pretty clingy and whiny (hahaha, that isn't new! ;)) today. No fever.

So yeah...that's what it is...or isnt...or...I don't know. To those parents' of kids that we have been around the last few days...keep an eye out. I am sorry if your child caught it from Nathan, as we had no idea anything was sprouting.

Any idea what the rash may be? Nothing serious, I am sure...and no need to call Dr. Abbott. I am just going to let it run its course. Hopefully it won't take long to get rid of. :)

Update: So in doing some research, the rash that he has is a cross between:
roseola - causes high fever for 3-5 days and then once the fever goes away, small red bumps appear on the trunk that spread all over the body. Though, Nathan has not had a fever at all.

fifth disease - causes red cheeks and then a fine lace-like red or pink rash on the arms. I have noticed the last few days, in the evening, his cheeks have gotten real red for some reason. Though, his rash is not on his arms.

keratosis pilaris - causes small pinpoint size red bumps and rough and dry skin on the cheeks and the back of the upper arms and legs. I noticed yesterday that the back of his arms were real dry, and his cheeks have been getting real dry as well. Again, I just chalked it up to it being winter.

Video!

This is from last November, so it isnt real new...except to you all. Just thought the blog needed a little life ;)

Remeber Last Year?

Last year at this time (not the exact date...but around the same time)?

It is so bittersweet to look at how he has become such a little boy, no longer a baby!

They Put Me To Work!

As you can see, Nathan has been put to good use. We knew having a child would be good for SOMETHING! :) (Kidding, of course!)

The fact that Nathan has learned to Swiffer at such a young age is sure to make Grand-Mom Gerwing proud! ;) See Beth, we are teaching him early!!! ;)

Ahh, Mom....

" Ahh, Mom! The camera again?"

"Is she done yet?"

Actually, this is how we eat lunch when we have been playing at All About Kids all morning, and it is nap time.