The Connell Family

Ethan decorated most of this gingerbread house. It was fun to watch him be so meticulate about where each piece went. In fact, this is a favorite characteristic about the E-man. He is so particular about things. If something is out of place or not straight or not exactly how he likes it, he gets so frustrated. Serious OCD! (Aren't we all in some way?) Today, for example, we were building with megablocks. If the single blocks weren't matched up exactly perfect, meaning stacked directly on top of each other without any showing at diagonals or whatever, he would start crying. Steve and I say that he may drive himself crazy someday. The other funny thing about Ethan is that he hates sticky stuff on his hands. Any time he got frosting on his hands, he let us know that he did not like it and screamed for a napkin!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (Or at least feel like it.)

Roses are red

Violets are blue

The Connells are prego

With Baby #2

(They're also very happy and getting over surreal feelings!)

So this is the best picture I could find of me and Stevo. (I am not prego in this picture, just very pale due to lack of sunshine in the Emerald City. I really fit in here.) Most of our pictures feature the E-man in all his glory. Anyway, I'm 13 weeks along and looking forward to a hearty and fully festive Thanksgiving. Hah! I'm due May 21st. Lah-dee-dah and Tra-Lah-Lah.

So this is the morning of my bebe's 30th birthday, which was yesterday!!! He really wanted to open his presents before church, and yes, we were a bit late. When asked what I got him for his birthday, I know it would have been more exciting to say skydiving, or a scenic plane ride, or a day motorcycle rental, but all I say is - underwear. I've had some funny faces after that response, wondering if the gift is risque, "sacred-type," or just plain boring. Well, he wanted some new long underwear for skiing, so that's what I got him. He also got a tent, some socks, a book, candy, and some "Just for Men" hair dye from one of his friends. Maybe it was boring, but ... what can you do? He has been looking into getting a motorcycle for some time now, and I figured that once he gets one, its purpose will be three-fold: it will sow his wild 30-year-old oats, it will count for an exciting 30-year-old present, and it will scare the socks off me everytime he rides it. Happy Birthday Bebe!
Look at those blazing candles!!! We had a fun gathering to celebrate the lofty occasion. Oh yeah, it was good times. It was sort of like getting into a crowded elevator with some extra perks - as in food. Steve wanted an ice cream cake, so that's what he got. It was really good, but it was also a lot of work.
Ethan and I (the party planners) managed to get in a photo with the main man. Babes, here's to you! May the next 30 years be even more glorious! XOXO

Ethan went Trick-or-Treating around the very pish posh outdoor shopping center behind our house tonight. People kept saying, "Hey look, a tooth." I can't tell you how many time we heard that.
Ready to go!
When we returned, Ethan just wanted to watch "Mater Truck" - that's Ethanese for "Cars." Then we frosted really good sugar ghost and pumpkin cookies. Let the good times roll.

So I know you've all been waiting to find out what Ethan's costume is this year, well here you go! He is a tooth! Steve and I were saying we should have gotten him a gold crown to wear on his head. That would have fit the bill! Hah!!! Anyway, I hope to get a few better pictures on this day of Hallow's Eve. This picture was taken at the Trunk or Treat on Saturday, and the little girl is his good friend, Grace. She is a tooth fairy, and her brother (not pictured) wanted to be a dentist. Anyway, I think this is pretty darn cute.

So Mom and Dad Jorg came up for a quick visit and they picked a great weekend. We had really good weather, and the leaves are looking spectacular. Ethan had a blast being the center of attention. On Saturday, we went to a pumpkin patch and some farmer's markets, a.k.a. Pike's, etc., and we did a bunch of other things too.

So Steve had a periodontal surgery on Monday; it was a gum graft. Now some of you may think this means he did the procedure, but no. He had it done on himself, and he watched almost the whole thing in a mirror. Would you ever want to watch somebody put 11 carpules of anesthetic into your gums and soft tissue and then start cutting? I think not. Anyway, his buddy assisted and the procedure took like four hours because he had a resident do it at the school. This is just the first of many procedures Steve will be enduring for the next year and a half due to his desire to have jaw surgery. So as you look at my handsome husband's darling smile and chiseled jawline, do you honestly think he should go through all this pain? Of course, I would never do it, and I wish he wouldn't. Technically, does he need to do it? Yes. I'll just keep telling myself that he'll be even more handsome after all is said and done. Babes, I'll love you no matter what!

Ethan has a new trick, and new tricks warrant new posts. Steve turned on the sports channel this past Saturday, and X-Game type skateboarding was on. I decided to say "Ooooohhh!" and Ethan copied me. Then I said "Aaaaahhh!" and he copied me again. So now he goes around saying Ooooohh and Aaaahhh when he sees something remotely cool. Pretty cute, and good enough to document!

So my Ethan is absolutely in love with trucks. Everything with wheels is called "truck." He probably says the word "truck" 200 times a day, and I'm not exaggerating! He'll wake up and say "truck," then he'll spend all morning lining them up in a row. It is fascinating. It's even better if we're in a traffic jam, and that occurs quite often here in Seattle, unfortunately. During a jam, he'll say "truck" over and over again. We of course can't move on until I repeat it, so I also say it 200 times a day. Gotta love it.

Here is Ethan with a line up of trucks. This is also the entertainment center before we painted it. (See below). I think I'm liking the red and new knobs.

Here's the family in August in front of Lombard Street in San Fran. We had a great summer and we're excited to get another year of dental school under our belts. We hope all are doing well!

I think Ethan makes me look good!

So this is the mountain in our backyard (okay, so it's three hours away, but you can always see it on a clear day). We went and camped at Mt. Rainier, and then we hiked around it. No, not up, but around. It is beautiful. In fact, the area we hiked was called "Paradise."