So close...

Although Mason has teased us with taking an unassisted step or two every now and then for the past month, we think he finally took his first "real" steps yesterday! He took a few at several different times, and even a few without either Mike or I encouraging him! I'm hoping that Mason will start walking soon! He's learning that he can hold toys in his hands and walk at the same time, which he obviously can't do while he crawls.

Mason is 1 year old!

Dear Mason,

December 5 was your first birthday! Happy Birthday! Though I love to celebrate each of your milestones (big AND small), I do feel a little sadness when each one comes along. You’re not considered an infant anymore, although the term “toddler” would require you to toddle - which you don’t do, yet – but I guess I can’t call you a baby anymore. However, I have a feeling I will still think of you as my baby for a long time.

I was sad when you got your first tooth, because I knew it was the end of my gummy grins from you…but then excited for you because your food options would only grow. You now have all 8 front teeth, 4 molars (one on each side, top and bottom), and your upper canine teeth are poking through. This means you can chew all sorts of things, and you’re learning to take bites (instead of stuffing large pieces of food in your mouth!).

Many milestones that you experience bring me so much joy! You’ve recently figured out how to tilt a bottle or sippy cup upwards to drink, without falling backwards yourself  You like to try to use a fork, and are even successful sometimes. Daddy and I were a little worried that you weren’t walking yet, since your big brother was fully “toddling” at 1 year and your left foot turns outward a bit. BUT, last night, you were standing next to a small box of toys and you pulled a toy out and held it in both hands while you were still standing up! You stood for several more seconds by yourself before you must have realized what you were doing, but then you slowly sat down on the floor. You can also push a toy around the house and walk behind it, so I think you’ll walk soon!

You can say “car” (you say “caah”), and you think anything with wheels is a car. You can also say “vroom-vroom” (you say “muuhmm muuhmm”). You can say “bye” and “ball” and “uh-oh” (you actually say “uh-ah”).You can understand a lot of words, too: clap, ball, milk, up, arms up, arms down, snack, hi, bye-bye, wave, stand up, sit down, bathtime, just to name a few!

At your 1-year check-up (which was actually on December 17), you weighed 26 lbs 4 oz., were 31 inches tall/long, and were in the 90th percentile for both height and weight.

We are looking forward to this Christmas with you and Tyler! We can’t wait to watch you experience the Hill Family Tacky Lights Tour, making a gingerbread house, sitting on Santa’s lap, and watching you open Christmas presents!

We love you so much and look forward to helping you learn how to walk, talk, and so much more!

Love, always,
Mommy

Visit From Santa!

This evening, the local fire department was kind enough to bring Santa around to say “hi” to all the kids in the neighborhood. When I heard the fire truck siren, I said excitedly to Tyler, “Santa’s coming to visit!” So, all of us proceeded to rush around the house trying to find shoes and coats. Tyler had found his coat and was putting on his shoes when he patted my arm and said, “Mommy! I’m so excited that Santa’s coming!” The entire evening of taking too long to eat and 2 timeouts washed away when I saw how happy Tyler was about being able to wave to Santa. Mike and I stood with Tyler and Mason at the end of the driveway waiting and listening for the fire truck. They drove by with Santa standing on top, at the end of the ladder, and Tyler beamed as he waved. His excitement overflowed into me!

We went back inside, where Tyler was still working on his dinner. I told him that if he didn’t finish (he had been at the dinner table for almost an hour already), I could still run out and catch up to Santa and tell him that Tyler wasn’t cooperating and eating his dinner. Tyler said, “Don’t do that, Mommy. I won’t be naughty anymore. I’m going to finish my dinner!” Tyler ate more food in those last 5 minutes than he did sitting at the table for the past 45 minutes!

Copycat

Mason is in the throes of copycat mode. Today, he was about to eat a shoe (again), so I told him "no" while I shook my head at him. He smiled at me and shook his head, too! It was so cute and hilarious that I had to laugh...so now he shakes his head when we say no :)

Mason likes to try to copy the sounds we make. He can make a clicking sound with his tongue, and he copies certain words (ma, ba, da, bye, yeah).

First Real Word

Mason has been babbling for a few months now. He says "mama" and "dada" all the time, though I don't know if he neccessarily uses the words to call me or Mike. He's also really good at imitating: opening and closing his fist if he sees one of us do it, sticking out his tongue, pointing, and making certain sounds ("ba," "da," "vroom," etc.). I never considered any of those sounds a real word, though. But, tonight Mason and I were looking at a finger puppet book that he loves. The finger puppet is a spider, so I was saying the word "spider" over and over while we were looking at the book. All of a sudden, Mason says, "pie-duh." I saw his lips make the correct movements, but I repeated the word "spider" again, just to be sure. I also had Mike listen, and Mason said it again, "pie-duh." OMG!! My baby said his first real word! :)

Mason is 11 Months Old

Dear Mason,

Today you are 11 months old! You’re growing and learning every day! We recently measured you and found that you are 29.5 inches tall! (I can say tall because now you are really cruising on the furniture).

You’re still smiley and happy as ever, but you are also very dramatic! You like to fling your whole body backwards if you are upset or unhappy, so we have to always be ready to catch you and make sure you don’t hit your head on anything! You are very attached to Mommy at the moment, and will get quite upset when I drop you off at day care or when we leave you with a babysitter. Most of the time, you quickly recover, though.

Right now you are very good at cruising along the furniture, and will even turn around from the coffee table to the couch or chair fairly easily. You can push a walker across the living room, sometimes one-handed! You can climb up shorter pieces of furniture or short steps…which is very scary for Mommy! You crawl very fast, and like to follow your big brother around the house. Usually to get into whatever toys he is playing with!

You like to feed yourself during meals, and can also feed yourself from a container or bowl. You can drink well from a sippy cup and from a regular cup (if I hold the cup).

During playtime, you like to bang two things held in your hands together, you can put objects in containers (or put balls into a hole), you can play peek-a-boo (where you hold a blanket over your face and pull it down, wanting to hear someone say “Peekaboo!” to you), and you can turn the pages of a board book.

You can understand “no”, “come here”, “sit down”, “bottle”, “up?” and “I’m gonna get you!” When I ask you if you want me to pick you up, you raise your arms.

My favorite thing that to encourage you to do is to give me kisses. You will usually give more than one, because I’m so excited and praise you so much when you do it. You open your mouth (like you’re going to eat something) and you plant your mouth somewhere on my face! I usually try to aim you toward my cheek, since your kisses are very wet and numerous, but I’ll take them wherever you want to put them!

For your first Halloween, you were Batman (your brother was Superman). And you two were truly my very own superheroes!

Mason, Mommy and Daddy can’t wait to experience the holidays with you and Tyler! I will love watching you (try to) open presents on your first birthday, and then on Christmas! I’m looking forward to taking you to look at neighborhood Christmas lights, visiting family, and (if we’re lucky) playing in the snow!

Love, always,
Mommy

Mason plays "peek-a-boo"

Tonight, Tyler sat next to me on the living room chair and quietly said, "Mommy, I think you are very beautiful."

Can you run out?

The other day, Tyler and I were looking at old videos of him playing with a koosh ball. In the video he was making some cute and funny noises. Tyler thought the video was hilarious and laughed so hard! He kept asking me to play it over and over. After a few more viewings, Tyler didn't laugh as hard as before, and after a couple more times, he sort of just let out a loud, "Ha!" Then he looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm running out of laughing."

Dear Mason,

Today you are 10 months old! We’ve had a busy month, and I can’t believe it’s already October. It’s still warm during the day, but the nights are definitely cooler. This month, we’ve taken you many different places and you’ve experienced many new things. You enjoy cheering Tyler on while we watch him play soccer. You especially love sitting in the grass, grabbing handfuls of it and try to sneak some in your mouth before Mommy can brush all the grass out of your hand. We all went apple-picking last weekend, and you enjoyed the warm weather and smell of apples. We picked so many that we have enough to make you lots of fresh applesauce, as well as apple crisp for everyone else! We also went to a farm this past weekend, where you played in an inflatable trampoline and went on a tractor hayride to pick a pumpkin. We met your cousins Hannah, Olivia, and Sabrina and your Tita Chark and Uncle David there. You and Tyler had so much fun with them!

You are still a chubby, bouncy boy, and not really affected much by the cooler weather, but Mommy loves dressing you up in fall clothes now.

You are very strong and are crawling everywhere and pulling yourself up on anything you can grab onto. Last night, I watched as you crawled under a train table, turned around while still partially underneath, and pulled yourself up to standing using mostly your arms! You have a very strong grip and very strong legs, too! You can slowly move one foot in front of the other if you’re holding on to something (or someone), but you mostly cruise by slowly sidestepping along furniture.

While you are still a happy-go-lucky little baby, you are virtually inconsolable until you get what you want. You have some of your mommy’s stubbornness, too (but Mommy will call it determination J). We’ve noticed how intelligent you are, you can understand the words “clap,” “more,” “bye-bye,” “uh-oh,” and “all done.” We ask you to clap, without showing you what it is, and you clap with a big smile on your face! You give high- and low-fives, wet kisses, and can wave “bye-bye” by opening and closing your hand or moving your whole arm up and down. You can pick up bite-size pieces of food and can also use a snack cup. It’s so funny to hear you crunch down on crackers or cereal with your 8 front teeth!

You love riding on Mommy’s or Daddy’s shoulders, you always smile and giggle each time one of us carries you like that. You also love playing with Tyler and will follow him around the house, trying to play with whatever he’s playing with. He’s very good with you, and luckily he has more than enough to share! Tyler always makes sure to give you some of his toys to play with while he’s playing with them. I love watching the two of you play together and interact. It seems like only a little while ago when Tyler was asking me when you would be able to play with him, and now you are!

Fall is in full swing! We’ll be carving pumpkins soon and getting your and Tyler’s Halloween costumes ready! We are so looking forward to watching you grow and learn. We love you so much!

Love, always,
Mommy

Dinnertime

On Monday night, Mike had class, so it was just me and the boys for most of the evening. We went to the library after I picked both of them up from daycare and returned/picked out books. We came home and I made dinner while the boys played. Everything was going pretty smoothly, and when we started dinner, Tyler seemed to be pretty interested in the meal. About halfway through dinner, Tyler spilled his milk. He started getting really upset about it, so of course I said (I couldn't pass up the moment, if only for myself), "It's just milk. You don't have to cry over spilled milk." His shirt and shorts soaked up most of the milk, and he asked (whined) if he could change his clothes. I noticed that he was nearly done with his food, so I told him to just take off his clothes and he could take a bath right after dinner. Well, the turning point of the meal was apparently the spilling of the milk, because it took Tyler almost half an hour to finish the second half of his dinner. He was constantly trying to get up from the table, talking, and playing with his penis (of course...it was right THERE, since he was naked). So, at least Mason was entertained by the banter between Tyler and myself, and I was able to clean up from dinner while I waited for Tyler to finish. For future reference, I will at least require underwear while eating.

9 Months!

Dear Mason,

On Saturday, you were 9 months old!! Your infancy is flying by so fast, I can’t believe you’re already 9 months old. You now have 7 teeth which have fully come out, and 3 more that are coming through (you have 4 teeth on top completely out and 2 more coming through, and 3 teeth out on the bottom with 1 coming through).

You are crawling all over the place and can pull yourself up to a kneeling position very easily. You like to play with whatever toy your big brother is playing with, though he doesn’t like it as much! You have recently discovered one kitchen cabinet with bowls and serving dishes that you like to open and pull things out from, also.

You are still very quick to smile and laugh, especially at anything Tyler does, and you’re still very ticklish! You can make “buh” and “ma” sounds, and often say “mamamama” when you’re crying or upset. You also get a kick out of covering and uncovering your mouth with your hand (over and over) to make funny sounds. Lately, you’ve entered a separation anxiety phase, so that every morning that I have to leave you at daycare, you cry as I hand you over and have to leave. It makes me sad, but I put you in good and caring hands and you’re always happy when I pick you up in the afternoons.

Fall is approaching and I am looking forward to lots of fun with you and Tyler these next few months. Tyler wants all of us to dress up as the Incredibles for Halloween this year, and I really hope I can make that happen! You and Tyler will be so freaking adorable in matching Incredibles costumes!!

We have also begun to buy Christmas gifts for you and your brother. While you will probably be receiving some hand-me-downs for Christmas, we’re making sure to get a few new things for you, too :)

Your 9-month well-baby visit was this morning and you now weigh 23.6 lbs and are 29.5 inches long/tall. You wear mostly 12-18 month clothes, and are completely out of the 6-9 month sizes!

My little baby is growing so fast! I can’t believe your next doctor’s appointment will be for your 1-year check-up!!

I love you with all my heart,

Mommy

Movin' on up

Today, Tyler moved up from the 3-year-olds class to the early 4's class. It was an easy transition, since most of his 3-year-olds class moved up with him. Many of them moved up early, but I think he's one of the youngest of the ones that moved up. I was worried about the transition, but when I picked him up at school this afternoon, he was happy, he had been in "green all day", and I noticed that his class is smaller and I recognized all the names of the kids in his class! I know that they have more rules for the kids, will help them with becoming more independent (learning how to tie shoes, clean up after themselves, concentrate on one activity at a time, etc.), and I'm excited about how Tyler will thrive. It's pre-kindergarden stuff, but I wonder how he'll be in a year or so (whether he'll be bored or if they'll develop a more challenging curriculum), since he'll be in this class for 2 years because his birthday is in January. He won't be 5 until 2011, and therefore won't be able to go to kindergarden until September 2011.

As excited as I am about milestones (great and small), I do feel a tinge of sadness when Tyler hits one. I want him to grow, but I don't want him to grow up! I want him to be my snuggly sweet boy forever!

What can Mason eat?

Mason has been crawling now for a couple of weeks, and the things that really get him moving are Tyler's Crocs. Mason first crawled across the entire kitchen just to get to those rubbery, chewy shoes. So, one afternoon, I put Mason down in the middle of the living room, in the middle of his toys and then I went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Mike walked in and must have noticed that Mason had crawled to the hallway to Tyler's Crocs and was chewing on one. Mike asked me, "Are we letting Mason eat shoes?"
Me: (pause) Would you let him eat gravel? Or dirt? Where have your shoes been? Would you let him eat that?
Mike: (I'm sure there's eye-rolling that I didn't see) A simple 'no' would have sufficed.

Nothing

Sometimes, when Mike or I think out loud, Tyler hears us and asks, “What did you say?” If it’s really nothing that concerns him, we usually answer, “Nothing. I love you.”

So, Tyler came along in the car with me to pick up some pizza for dinner. I had all the windows down and he was saying something, but I couldn’t hear him since he was in the backseat. I asked, a few times, “What was that, Tyler? I can’t hear you.” His reply, “Nothing, Mommy. I love you!”

A what?

Mike and I went out to run some errands while in Suffolk visiting his family. It had been raining for the past 2 days here. As we were driving through a rural neighborhood, Mike noticed some standing water in a roadside ditch. He commented that the ditch had poor drainage. I said, “Well, it has been raining for two days straight.” Mike: “Yeah, I guess it’s been a dormant vestibule.”

8 Months

Dear Mason,

Today you are 8 months old. Time is FLYING by! You just cut 2 top teeth and are now able to flip from your back to your belly...and you actually enjoy being on your belly! You love to stand and can support yourself on your own, needing something to hold on to only for balance. You can wiggle around the room (mostly backwards, on your belly), and I think you'll be crawling and walking at the same time. You want to do so much, I can see it in your eyes!

You can eat more solid foods like Cheerios, pieces of meat and chicken, mashed potatoes, noodles, bread, and steamed veggies. You're beginning to use your fingers to pick up food (instead of your whole fist), and you can easily drink from a baby sippy cup.

You absolutely LOVE bathtime, splashing in the water, and the way it makes moving around so easy. You tolerate water being poured over you, but you don't seem to like being soapy. You love playing in the bath with Tyler the most!

You definitely know your name, and always laugh or giggle when we sing your name to you. You laugh very easily and you are a sweet, smiley, cuddly, easy-going little baby boy.

You seem older than only 8 months to me, and not just because you're wearing 12-month clothes! You just seem to comprehend more than I expect. I love picking you up from daycare at the end of the day, because you always get so excited when you see me. It's a wonderful feeling!

Happy 8-month birthday, sweet Mason! Mommy, Daddy, and Tyler love you very much!

Flip

Well, it's official. Now that I've seen it, it's official :) Mason can flip over! Finally! Last night, he flipped from his back to his tummy in his crib. He's been sleeping on his side for the past couple of weeks, but when I put him in his crib (on his back) he rolled to his side, then flipped over onto his stomach!

And, Mason's top middle teeth are coming in! He was very snotty and drooly for a couple of days, and sure enough, they broke through the gums on Saturday! Definitely no more gummy smiles, now :(

How much?

Last night, while putting Tyler to bed, he did his usual bedtime stalling tactics of asking for water, needing to find all the stuffed animals he wanted to sleep with, looking for his blanket, etc. In the midst of all that, he said to me, "Mommy! Do you know how much I love you?"
Me: How much?
Tyler: I love you a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot!!
Me: Do you know how much I love YOU?
Tyler: No...
Me: Well, I love YOU a lot, a lot, a lot, alotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalotalot!
Tyler: Wow, that's a lot.

Three-and-a-half, going on eight...

Dear Tyler,

Today you are 3-1/2 years old. To me, you seem much more mature than many kids your age, and I have come to expect more from you…often forgetting that you’re only 3-1/2. A typical 3-1/2-year-old is expected to throw tantrums, not be able to pronounce certain letters/sounds/words, and be a little selfish. You, on the other hand, rarely throw an all-out tantrum, can annunciate your words very well, and are always willing to share (toys, food…anything, especially with your little brother, Mason). I bought you a set of flash-card-type cards, meant for 4-5-year-olds. You’ve gone through the first set of cards with such ease, that I’m hoping the cards get harder as we go…otherwise I’ll have to get you the 6-7-year-old set!

You are very polite and kind to others. We hope that we are teaching you respect for other people, and it seems as though you understand. You certainly know the difference between asking politely for something and whining about it. I think you have also figured out that Mommy and Daddy have a soft spot for you when you do ask nicely for something. You, Mason, and I were at the library the other day, and we were getting ready to leave, but you wanted to play for a few more minutes in the children’s area. I had said we were running short on time, but you calmly pleaded, “Mommy, can I please play over there for a few more minutes? Please?” Well, what could I do but agree? (And also be secretly happy, because that was an example of what Daddy and I have been trying to teach you for so long!)

You were watching a movie this afternoon, and I was watching you. You looked so much older than 3-1/2 years. Your face looked more like a 7 or 8-year-old’s face, and I found myself imagining what you would look like in a few years and on. You’re a gorgeous child, and you easily smile, showing us your 4 dimples! How I love those dimples and what I wouldn’t do to see them!

You’ve become so independent, doing so many things on your own. You rarely need help with day-to-day activities. You can go to the potty by yourself, wash your hands, put on and take off your clothes, go to the refrigerator and get a snack, get out your toys, clean up your toys, and get in and out of the car (including opening and closing the door). You run very fast, you love to jump from high places, and you give wonderful hugs and kisses. You are very loving and gentle with Mason, and you are just as proud as Mommy and Daddy when Mason accomplishes new things (clapping, standing, etc.). You can make Mason smile easier than anyone else, and you enjoy doing things you know will entertain him.

With your independence has come a little bit of fear. You’ve recently become afraid of the dark, monsters, and growling (even if it’s fake growling that Mommy or Daddy is doing to play with your stuffed animals). Some days, you may have a bad day at daycare because you miss your cousins or us, and you want to be home.

Tyler, you and I have been tending to some tomato plants and basil plants this summer. You get very excited when a tomato turns red and you’re allowed to pick it. We’ve gotten quite a few tomatoes already, and I’ve already made 2 batches of pesto from the basil. You helped me transplant some tomato plants as they grew, you pick off the flowers from the basil plants, and you’ve helped me water the plants with your own watering can. I’m excited that I could teach you the little I know about gardening, and that our plants are doing so well!

You are so, SO smart! You've grasped some pretty complicated concepts, especially for a 3 (and a half) year old. You can play many board games all the way through, following the directions: Candyland, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Memory, Chutes and Ladders, a Thomas the Train board game we got at a yard sale, dominoes, Go Fish, War, and you almost played a whole game of checkers with me! You can tell a knock-knock joke, too!

You love your cousins, and you get along very well with all of them. Right now, it seems like Lauren, Hannah, and Reese are the ones you play with most, since they are all closest to your age.

All this is meant to show you what a wonderful little boy you’re growing to be. You are truly a delight for Daddy and me. We love to watch you play with your toys, play superheroes, and interact with Mason. You love books, and we love reading them to you. You’re a kind and loving little guy, and we are so proud of the boy you’re growing up to be. Daddy and I love you very, very much!

Love always,
Mommy