Sleeping struggles with Ethan . . .

It's definitely safe to say that each of our boys has his own set of amazing talents. When it comes to Ethan, he has always excelled in the "gross motor skills" area . . . he was the first to pull-up, the first to crawl, the first to walk, and, as of August, the first to decide that his crib is too small to contain him. It's honestly a trait we'd have loved for him to work through and retire, but he seems committed to keeping it in his repotoire.


What is genuinely amazing is the strength and skill he displays when getting out . . . he displays both the flexibility of a yogi (as he lifts his leg over his head to latch onto the crib railing) and the strength of a lineman as he first lifts himself up and then delicately lowers himself down. He's not afraid to use an open drawer or his crib mattress for a little assistance, but most of the time he just goes straight to the ground. Now, without further fanfare, here are some pictures of Ethan's greatest crib escapes . . .

First up, our first confirmation that he was in fact escaping the crib . . . prior to this August Saturday morning, Weezie had indicated that she thought he was able to get out, but, at 19 months, we didn't believe it could be possible. Fast forward to Dad coming into their room bright and early with their morning milk cups, only to discover Ethan experimenting with the latest craze amongst the kids, planking!!! He was cool as a cucumber, just hanging out long enough for Dad to help him make the transition to the ground.























Shortly this initial discovery, he displayed his talents on a far too frequent basis . . . we'd often perform our normal bedtime checks only to discover Ethan exploring new sleeping spaces . . .

The recliner . . .

The large pillow (ok, well, its a large dog bed, if we're being honest, but we DID buy it new at least!) that we placed at the base of the dresser to protect against an unexpected dismount error . . .



























Lastly, he displayed his skills at Gramma and Papa's place, deciding their twin bed looked far more appealing than his crib . . . at least we know he's not just trying to escape when he's home!