He thinks he's funny

Ethan is entering yet another development phase - I am still amazed at how fast these little guys change.  He has grown noticeably longer in the last week and his movements, voices, laughs and smiles are also changing.  As I watch him tumble around his toys, his movements look more like a toddler than a baby.  A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that I'm still not used to looking up and seeing my baby walking across the room...

Ethan has always been a baby that laughs a lot, but now he laughs ALL THE TIME (except before nap/bedtime!).  He smiles at everything and everybody.  The coolest development is that he has realized he can make others laugh.  It's no longer just Aaron and I doing silly things to make him smile, but now he does silly things to make us laugh...and keeps doing it again and again so we keep laughing.  He also cracks himself up all day long.  He does this silly little giggle as he plays, it's so fun to listen to!

He has started to give a sweet, shy smile - he tucks his chin down, squints his eyes and giggles.  A lady killer, for sure.  

E he has lots of different laughs.  The best is the geniune, all out belly laugh.  Although another good one is when he gives Aaron the 'fake laugh'.  He already is saying 'yeah dad, sure, you're funny...'!  (Ok, I'll admit he does this laugh for everyone but I laugh too when he does it to Aaron)

He doesn't repeat words back to us yet, but one of our favorite games with E is to repeat the sounds he makes back to him.  It's a guarantee to get the belly laugh going.  I think he realizes that for once, he gets to control the game.  This was a lifesaver on the 6 hour roadtrip recently!  

The games he plays with himself have matured along with him.  A few weeks ago I noticed E was hiding toys under the couch and coming back a few minutes later to get them.  Just tonight Aaron noticed he was hiding a flat coaster under the area rug, then looking under the rug to find where he left it.  It's kinda similar to playing the memory game with yourself.   

My favorite game he plays is putting paper or anything that slides under both hands and crawls across the floor.  He figured out his hands glide as his legs push him and he makes big wave motions across the floor.  (and of course laughing the whole time!)  An ingenious little guy.