Bunk bed

It’s official. Tyler’s a big boy, now. He just moved into his “big boy bed” this weekend! The four of us took a trip up to Ikea and bought a bunk bed for Tyler (and maybe Mason in a couple of years). It’s a simple wooden bunk bed, but it has high rails all the way around the top bunk, and it’s also not a very tall bunk bed. The top bunk is around 5 feet off the ground.

We also put up a bed tent over the top bunk a) because it looks cool, and b) to keep Tyler’s hands off of the train and away from the ceiling fan. I say “we”, but Mike really did all of it. I picked out the bed at the store, but he put it together and figured out a way for the bed tent to fit on the bunk bed (since it’s made for a different bed). I did install the night lights and put the bedding on, though. Aren’t they all cute?

So, we just need to figure out how to better organize both boys’ rooms. Many toys aren’t played with anymore, and can probably go in the attic (and be brought down in a few months as a “new” toy). Tyler doesn’t have a crazy amount of clothes, but they’re larger than they were when I designed his closet (then he was wearing 2T/3T clothes, and now he’s in 4T/5T clothes).

See how neat and tidy Tyler's closet used to be?

It doesn't look like that anymore, and I'm to embarrassed to post a current picture of it.

I think we need to get him a dresser and relocate some toys to his closet. The same goes for Mason. His closet is a mess. It’s just a catch-all for old baby stuff, occasionally-used stuff, and clothes he’s not quite ready to wear yet. I would love to redo it, similar to the way I designed Tyler’s, since there’s a ton of unused space in it, and Mason has toys piling up in the corner of his room.

Anyway, the main thing is that Tyler loves his new bunk bed (which he calls a “bonk” bed) and Mike is happy because we can actually have grown-ups come over and sleep comfortably!

Out of Control

I need to go through my purse. I have way too much stuff in it, and it’s not that big of a purse! Just looking now, this is what is currently in my purse (I have not edited anything!):

Wallet
Checkbook
Cell phone
Inhaler
iPod “sock” cover
compact mirror
keys
box of Trident gum with one piece of gum left
2 different pink lip glosses
small notepad
fun size M&Ms
Home Depot receipt
Wal-mart receipt
UPS receipt
Jiffy Lube receipt
Ukrop’s receipt
A check I need to deposit
A small board book (very small, 2”x2”)
Part of a Transformer (a leg/wheel?)
2 Jiffy Lube coupon books
Birth control pills
Two spools of thread
3 rubber bands
hand sanitizer
New Moon ticket stub (from January!!)
Wicked ticket stub
Banana hair clip
Tampon
2 Tylenol Cold pills
phone earpiece
pin shaped like sunglasses (from Cheeseburger in Paradise)
2 pens
3 pieces of hard candy
3 Band-Aids
pantyliner
badge holder
$2.50 in quarters
carbon copy book of checks
Flying Squirrels schedule

Or, maybe I just need a bigger purse? I am loving these that I found on Etsy.com:

Coco Tote from Nans Redesigns





or this Kimmie Purse from PurseandPouch

or this Wendy Hobo Bag from Girl...by Aileen

The Thinker

Lately, it’s become very obvious that Tyler is pondering the curiosities of life. He’ll often ask, after a quiet moment of reflection on his part, questions about everyday things that he has just begun to wonder about:

“Why do some people have different colored skin?”
“What is under the dirt?”
“What is Canada?”
“What is gravity?”
“Why can’t I come to work with you?”
“What is after space?”
“How is God everywhere?”

Some things were easy to answer, but often other things are much harder. Sometimes his questions seem so simple, and I’ll give him a simple answer (and it’s usually while we’re out shopping or running errands, so I’m a little distracted). But my answers usually lead him to ask another question, and then I really have to stop and think about what I’m saying and why he’s even asking the question.

While my answers might mostly confuse him further, sometimes we do learn from some of Tyler’s questions. He asked Mike and I “What is under the dirt?” the other day, and I said, “More dirt.” Mike took it a bit further and said, “Rock.”

Tyler: What’s under the rock?
Daddy: Hot liquid rock, or lava! (trying to get Tyler excited)
Tyler: What’s under the lava?
Daddy: The earth’s core, which is also lava.
Mommy: How can the earth’s core be liquid? Isn’t there a lot of pressure at the center of the earth? Wouldn’t that be solid?
Daddy: But there’s such a high temperature that it has to be liquid.
(I think we have lost Tyler at this point…he just wants to know what the answer is)

So, we go inside and look it up online. Tyler now knows that the earth is made up of a crust, a mantle, a liquid outer core, and (drumroll please) a solid iron inner core! Tyler announced, “Mommy was right, Daddy.”

All this wondering and questioning that Tyler is doing has us entering a sort of new phase in child-rearing that illustrates how Tyler is thinking more abstractly. The questions are getting harder, and we need to be on our toes :)

No complaints, though. I am loving every minute of this!

Mason is 16 months old!

Dear Mason,

Today you are 16 months old! I’ve missed some of your monthly letters, and you have learned and accomplished so much since your first birthday, so this may be a long letter :)

I took you for your 15-month check-up 2 weeks ago. You weigh 26 lbs 13 oz. and are 32.5 inches tall. You’ve only gained 9 ounces since your 1-year check-up, and that is mainly due to all the walking you’ve been doing lately! You started walking at around 14 months, and it surprised Mommy because you just walked across the room one day! You didn’t really go through a “learning” phase of taking a few steps, then falling, then getting up and trying again. It was almost as if you didn’t want to even walk until you knew you could do it well! So, one day you’re crawling all around the house (loudly, so Mommy can always hear you coming), and the next day you’re quietly walking around and are about a foot taller than when you were crawling. You actually startled me a couple of times by sneaking up on me and then giggling :)

You can understand so many things, and you are beginning to say “real” words quite often. You can understand many simple instructions and how to follow directions, too. There are so many words in your vocabulary now, too:

Bubble (bubbuh)
Quack quack (kaa kaa)
Who who (oo-ooo! <<< you also use this sound for “boo!” and “woo-hoo!!)
Hi
Car (caah)
Uh-oh (uh-oo)
Go
Cold (sounds a lot like “go”)
Hot (haaa)
Buh-bye
Cow
Moo
Lolo
Lola

You learn so much by copying what other people do, especially what Mommy, Daddy, and Tyler do. When Tyler helps me get the groceries out of the bags to put them away, you automatically start helping, too. And, when I’ve come home with groceries and Tyler isn’t around, all I have to do is ask you for help and you will help me unload the bags.

We spent Easter in Falls Church with your Lolo and Lola. They are very good at playing with you and your brother (and your cousins). You especially like to play with your Lolo, and eat the chicharons (pork rinds) he gives you! Your Lolo and Lola had their arms crossed and were standing and sort of swinging their torso back and forth. You copied them immediately! The next day, when we were at home, I did the same thing to try and get you to copy me. You did it, but you also said “Lolo” while you did it, so you remembered something from just the day before and knew who you associated it with!

You love to play peek-a-boo at the dinner table by covering your face with your hands, and then we pretend we can’t see you and ask, “Where’s Mason?!” Tyler just thinks that Mommy & Daddy are being silly and he points right at you and says, “He’s right there!”

You also like to show us your belly and have it tickled…we ask you where your belly is and you pull your shirt up and smile as one of us reaches for your chubby belly and tickles you as we find it! You can also blow kisses and give Mommy a kiss.

You love cars, trains, blocks, figurines, and anything Tyler is playing with. You’re trying to master putting cars down a Hot Wheels ramp, and you are able to put the car on most of the time. You also love balls, throwing and catching (as best you can) balls are most fun for you! And you have a good arm, too!

You are going through a separation anxiety phase right now. If I’m in the room, you mostly want to be near me or even be touching me. Most often, when you’re tired or hungry, you want only Mommy to hold you, but that’s usually when I’m trying to cook or get you ready for bed. So, as much as I would love to hold and hug you during those times, I have to hold that back and just smile at you so I can continue making dinner. One day I’ll have it timed perfectly so that right when you start getting hungry is when dinner will be ready!

You eat very well, and you prefer using utensils, especially a fork! Most of the time you will push food away until you are also given a fork to eat with. You love all sorts of food, and we are very proud of your diverse diet. You love vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans, celery, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, asparagus, spinach, you name it!), you love chicken, fish, ground beef, turkey, sausages, pork, potatoes, pasta, soup, fruits (strawberries, grapes, pineapples, apples, oranges, mango, melons), chili, bread, sweets…everything! You’re usually easy to please, unless you’re so hungry that only milk will do :)

Now that the weather is nice, we’ve been able to play outside almost every day. You love playing with water and bubbles, but you also like to just walk or run around the yard. You will often bring us your shoes when we’re inside as a not-so-subtle hint that you’d like to go outside.

You’re not my little baby anymore, and while I love watching you grow and learn, I do get pangs of longing for you to be the little baby who liked to snuggle and nap in my arms. I get a glimpse every now and then of your babyhood (your chubby belly and arms help me out quite a bit), but as that time becomes a distant memory, I know that I only have many more things to look forward to with you as you grow from toddlerhood to little-boyhood!

I love you so much, my little Mason!

Mommy

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.”