Well, I always feel a little guilty when I do this, so for the sake of disclosure, I've gone back and updated my blog for the last month. So, since about Sept. 16 is all new content, just waiting for you to read :)

One of the best things the Church has done is set up audio feeds of conference on the Internet. Especially now that we have a baby, I'm not sure how we would make it to conference otherwise.

Today, Ethan slept through an entire session. Two solid hours, which is highly, highly unusual for his naps. But, we weren't complaining or about to wake him up.

One thing that impressed me during the Conference sessions so far has been the emphasis on the Book of Mormon. I know that it is the keystone or our religion and that it is never far from the counsel we receive, but I feel the Saints have been energized by Presdient Hinkley's challenge to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I decided to finish it from where I was (near the end of Alma). This was an inspired way to encourage more Church members to read the Book of Mormon instead of just telling us how important it is. I'm glad we have a prophet to lead us.

I might be setting myself up for a bit of teasing here, but as I mentioned a few months ago, I play computer games. Spefically I play Neverwinter Nights. (And I've got AJ playing with me.)

Well, part of my hobby is playing online in a world that someone else has created. It's been fun, and they have a section for Fan Fiction, which I have been using to kick my writing back into gear. My Mom took a piece around this summer that I did using this game/world as inspiration.

Some time ago, I started writing a short story about this world, and it's turned into a much longer piece. Right now it's all hand-written in a notebook right now, and needs some major editing, but I've been putting off writing the ending. I'm hoping this will give me a better timeline because when it's done, I'll send it off to anyone who's interested in reading it.

I really like writing and just wish I had the dedication to sit down every night and do more of it. But with Ethan, cleaning, and trying to spend time with Mia (Read: Watching TV together) I haven't been doing very well.

There's always tomorrow though right.

Our cute boy has decided that he has a new favorite bath time activity. He stands up by the facuet, and tries to turn on the water. Mostly he just smacks at the knob, but the whole time he is shouting at the top of his lungs because it's just so exciting.

For him anyway. I have to keep one hand on him to make sure he doesn't fall, and try to keep soaping him off with the other.

But, adding a bath to the bedtime routine has been wonderful. He loves being in the water, and he knows that when it's over he gets dressed and then gets a bottle. By the time his clothes are back on, he is usually whining to get the bottle.

After sucking down 4-6 oz. (on a good day) he starts rubbing his face, or just flopping back, while I try to read him Good Night Moon.

Then I put him down, he rolls onto his stomach, and is asleep before I leave the room.

I've been listening to Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, on tape. It's a good book, but my friend Tyler and I agree that the first one was better.

The second one has much more of a feel that this is a young writer. Not that the story isn't interesting, it's that he's getting himself lost in the description. Now, normally description is a fine thing to include, but the over-use of eosteric words to describe mundane things or events (like the rain in Carvahall) takes you away from some of the immersion.

On the other hand, I have found that these kinds of issues are magnified when listening to a book rather than reading it. I started listening to The DiVinci Code and in the second or third chapter after I'd heard about the "parkay floor" at The Louvre for the 500th time, I decided to turn it off.

Our boy has been having a big month. He's standing up so much more these days. He loves to crawl over things (especially us) and he is a big fan of shouting. Not screaming when he cries, but shouting when he's excited about something.
It's so fun to watch him grow up and think of all the things we still have to look forward to.

I think that I'm beating my wife to this post, but I'll do it anyway. As I was leaving for work this morning Ethan waved good-bye to me. We have been trying to teach him to wave for a little over a week now.

We think that we have seen some attempts, but this was a full wave and recognition that I was leaving.

And of course when I came home tonight, he was crawling so fast through the kitchen to come see me. That's one of the best parts of my day.

Well, this is a much quicker update. I hope to get back into a better rythmn of posting and keeping things updated.

Things are going great on this front. We have had my cousing staying with us before she goes to college and having the extra hand around the house has been great. Ethan is so active and likes to get into everything. Seriously, everything! But we love him and when he crawls over to one of us all excited to see us, it practically makes us melt. He is definately the boss around here.

We are looking forward to getting a bit of quiet, if not rest with such an active baby, on Monday. Since Mia is working this weekend, it will be nice.

I can't believe that it is September already. Where has this year gone.

Alright, since this month is over and I haven't posted much, I'm going to try to make a long post about all the things that went on this month.

First, as I mentioned we have had lots of company in town. At the beginning of the month, my parents came for a visit with their grandson... and us too I guess. It was great to see them since they only make it back to the states about once a year.
My dad and I went into the city of Boston and got on one of the hop-on tour buses. I didn't even realize they had these in Boston (not thinking of it in tourist terms) but it was a nice trip and we learned alot about the city. We also stopped in the North End, or Little Italy, to get some fresh canolis and gelato. Hmmm, that was good.

All of us, including Ethan, went for a trip to Lexington as well. We made it just in time to watch a demonstration of how a musket was fired. It was quite the process to get it loaded and set-up. And the slug was huge! The man (dressed as a colonist, of course) told us that the point of a mustket was not to be accurate but to have lots of them shooting at the same time.
Ethan was a bit startled when the musket was fired, because he had started getting sleepy around that time, but he didn't cry and we were able to put him into his stroller for a nap while we all had a pinic lunch. It was very nice.

Then, after my parents left, we were visited by Linda and crew including Mia's sister, two brothers, and both their girlfriends. Nathan, who just came back from a mission was being visited by the girl he had dated his freshman year of college. Her name is Shelly. We took everyone into downtown Boston (Ethan's first subway ride) and checked out some of the sights and sites. Ethan started getting very tired, and poor Mia got wiped out during the trip to the Aquarium, so we decided to come home early. After leaving here, they were all headed to Florida after a few days for the rest of their vacation.

On the weekend of my wife's birthday, David and family came to visit. We decided to go canoeing in the Charles river because there is a boat shop near to our house. Unfortunately Ethan didn't like the lifejacket and had to leave after about 10 minutes. I stayed for the boating and he went home with his mom for a nap. The canoeing was fun, we went about 2 miles up river and saw a heron and a hawk, as well as some turtles. It's amazing that wildlife can continue to thrive with the city sprouting up all around it.
Afterwards, the adults were going to head out to dinner, but first we had to pick up my cousin Charity from the airport (or so I thought). After poor Mia waited 3 hours at the airport we were finally able to track down her brother in Utah and find out she wasn't coming until a week later. D'oh.
So, she came home and the four of us ate lukewarm Mexican take-out around our kitchen table while the kids slept in the car. Much more memborable this way :)

And finally, we had a shipment of furniture arrive to our house. This was stuff that my parents weren't able to use since they moved to a smaller house, including a couch, an over-stuffed chair, a rug, some baby toys (why they had them at their old apartment I don't know :P ), and a nice TV. I'll be taking some pictures of the new house to show it all off.

So, as you can see, we have had a busy month. We're looking forward to having a bit of time off... after my cousin stays with us for a week.

The past few weeks have been pretty exciting for us. We had a lot of family come into town. Ethan loves having visitors (even though it makes him more clingy to Mom and Dad afterwards) and he started crawling just before everyone arrived.

Literally about 2 days before people started visiting he finally took his first few actual crawling motions. He had been up on his hands and knees rocking, but never could master moving forward and staying up. Now he goes everywhere, especially if we are going there. He's so cute when he follows after us, or crawls towards us when we come into a room.

I'll write more about all the company later.