5 years of being a Mommy

Dear Tyler,
 
Today you are 5 years old!  Happy birthday, my sweet boy!  We are so proud of the boy you are growing up to be.  You are energetic, sweet, caring, thoughtful, brilliant, athletic, creative, and so much more.  
 
We already had a big birthday party for you with some of your friends from school earlier this month.  You all had such a good time at the Little Gym, jumping, crawling, climbing, and playing with tons of squishy balls.  
 
This year you are taking more of an interest in what words say and in math and numbers.  You can recognize short words, but you often don’t have the patience to try and sound out a word that you see.  You can count to 100 (and higher) by 1s and 10s.  You can count to ten by 2s.  
 
You are wonderful with LEGOs and love to make different Minifigures with all the parts we have.  You can follow directions to build small things (vehicles, small objects) without any help.  
 
You almost always remind us to say the blessing before dinner and to say our prayers at night before bed.  You like to ask questions about God, our family, and have coped with your Grandpa Clark’s death very well.  
 
You are open to trying new things, with a gentle nudge from Mommy or Daddy.  In the summer and fall, you took 2 sessions of swimming lessons and did REALLY well!  You gained so much confidence and were one of the only kids in your class to ask to go underwater.  You love using goggles underwater so you can look around.  Over the summer, we had a small 2’ deep pool in the yard, and you loved playing with dive toys and shooting back and forth across the pool underwater.  
 
You have a great memory, and recently recalled to us something that happened when you were 3!  It was amazing, because it was a specific event that hasn’t happened since!
 
This year has been full of fun experiences with you.  We saw monster trucks on the beach in May, you moved into a bunk bed later that month, we attended a couple of Squirrels baseball games, you attended your first vacation bible school for a week in the summer, we went to Virginia Beach and Yorktown Beach, we took you to DC, you played a season of Dynamo soccer, we went apple-picking with your cousins, and we went trick-or-treating for Halloween with your cousins, too.  
 
You are very interested in super heroes, knights, castles, dragons, and playing dress-up.  We got you and Mason a dress-up box of clothes for Christmas, and you are both constantly pretending to be one super hero or another.  
 
While you can get frustrated and upset with Mason, you are generally a very good and caring big brother.  We are so excited that you will have another little sibling soon, and can’t wait to see how you are with a little baby brother or sister.  You are very helpful with Mason.  Some mornings, you help him put his coat or shoes on, or you get his blanket for him at night, or you even help him get undressed and ready for a bath in the evening!
 
Lately, we have been getting reports from your pre-school that you are rather emotional, but we haven’t been able to get to the bottom of this yet.  It seems that if you get in “trouble” at school, you immediately break down and start crying.  This usually only happens one time, and then you’re fine for the rest of the day.  One of your teachers thinks that you are disappointed in yourself when you get in trouble, which is what upsets you.  While we love that you have such high standards for yourself, we also don’t want you to be too hard on yourself if you slip up and do something wrong at school.  It’s hard for us to communicate this to you in a way you’ll understand, though.
 
It’s hard to believe that you’ll be starting kindergarten this year, getting on a bus and going to school like a big boy.  You have really grown up a lot over the past year.  I can tell in the way you talk, how you play, and how you are with other children.  
 
I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, or how many more times I will say it, but I’m so proud of you and how wonderful of a boy you are!  
 
Love, with all my heart,
Mommy

Interesting...

Well, here we are 12 days into the new year, and we just found out we’re expecting! This is so unlike us (me), since we’ve tried hard to plan everything so precisely in the past. I went off of my birth control back in August, just to allow my body to get on it’s own cycle before we actively started trying for #3. My plan was to start really trying in January or February, but we must have had a romantic evening around Christmas sometime, because here we are, baking #3 in the oven J It didn’t even cross my mind that I was pregnant, it was Mike who asked me if I had gotten my period yet. He asked me last week, on the 8th or 9th of January. I said that I hadn’t, but I could get it any day. Every day after, Mike asked me if I got my period. Each day I said no, and Mike would say, “Interesting…” Then he suggested that I take a pregnancy test. I waited a couple of days, still no period. So I went out and bought a test. I took it yesterday and here we are!

Christmas

This Christmas was so exciting! We introduced the boys to our Elf on the Shelf (who arrived in a blanket in a box with his book on our front porch one cold night after Thanksgiving). The boys named our elf Lark, and were very eager to see the results of Lark’s nightly antics each morning. I didn’t take any pictures of the things Lark did, but one night he toilet-papered the bathroom (it happened to be the night before Mason’s birthday, so Tyler thought Lark “decorated” to celebrate). Another night, Lark gathered some of the boys’ stuffed animals and played Candy Land with them; he found our cookies and decided to sit in the cookie container and make a mess; he climbed the Christmas tree on several occasions; he even made himself a house out of a cardboard box and played in it!

Tyler wrote and mailed a letter to Santa around Thanksgiving (asking for Super Hero Squad figures, play food, and a play store) and actually received a letter from North Pole, Alaska from Santa in return! I was even excited about that nice, unexpected surprise. Both boys got to see and take photos with Santa at Tyler’s daycare. They let us come early so that Tyler and Mason could be in the pictures together. Santa was super nice, and the boys looked so darn cute, I couldn’t decide which pictures to buy, so I bought all of them! Check them out:
BOYS SANTA PICTURES
A few days before Christmas, we took the boys and their cousins (Jenna, Lauren, and Jaime) out to look at all the tacky Christmas lights in nearby neighborhoods. There were quite a few good ones this year, but our favorite was still one house that was entirely covered in lights and had a ridiculously tall “tree” made from stringing lights from one point and fanning the strands down to the ground.
TACKY LIGHTS PICTURES?
Christmas day was a blast. Santa had arranged all the presents under the tree around the train set, and even made a few little tunnels out of the presents! After eating some cinnamon rolls with green icing, the boys took their time opening their many toys. It took us several hours, because each gift had to be opened completely and played with for a little while before the next gift was opened.
CHRISTMAS PICTURES
Mason’s favorite gift Christmas day had to have been the dress-up box I put together for the boys, which included a custom cape for each of them, complete with super hero mask. Tyler wanted to put on an Iron Man costume (actually, his Halloween costume) immediately, but it was a little snug, so he had to take off his PJ bottoms before putting on the costume. Mason must have seen him do that, so he followed suit, but with no reason to! He ran back into the living room looking like this:
MASON w/NO PANTS J
That night, we drove up to my parents house to celebrate Christmas with them, my sister & her family, and our cousins and their families. The cousins had a ton of fun with each other at Lolo and Lola’s house…and the extra sweets and more gifts weren’t bad, either :)

Happy Birthday, Mason!

Dear Mason,

Today, you are 2 years old! Has it really been two years since you were a tiny little baby, who I could easily fit into the crook of my arm? You have grown SO much and are definitely your own person now.

Many people often think you're closer to 3 years old, because you're tall and a solid little guy. You're wearing size 2T and 3T clothes, and are certainly more comfortable in the 3T size clothes. You are more confident in trying new things (fearless even), especially if you see your big brother do them first. It seems like you see him do something, and realize that he's fine, so you know that you'll be fine if you try it, too.

We celebrated your birthday with your Grandma, Grandpa, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Suffolk after Thanksgiving. I made you a Little Einsteins Pat Pat Rocket Cake, and I was so happy when you recognized it when I brought it out to you :)

The following weekend, your Lolo, Lola, and more cousins came to our house to celebrate your birthday, too! We had put the tree up when we came home after Thanksgiving, so it was very festive.

Daddy and I are so proud of the litle boy you are growing to be. You are thoughtful and considerate, sweet and loving, but you can also be very stubborn. You like to attempt every task by yourself first and then ask for help if you can't do it yourself. You get mad very, VERY quickly if someone helps you do something and you haven't asked!

You can speak very well, and you often use complete sentances to express yourself. You know well over 100 words, I think it may be more like 200, but my favorite words that you say are "I love you." My heart leapt the first time I heard Tyler say them, and when I hear you say them, it's like hearing them for the first time again. I think it feels even better now, because I know that you both know what those words mean and say them so willingly to Daddy and me.

You and Tyler are playing more together now, and you copy many of the things he does, so you're actually pretty good playmates. I think Tyler enjoys bossing you around a bit, too :) You look up to Tyler so much, and in some ways he knows this (and takes advantage of it), but in other ways he doesn't realize or may forget how much you really try to be like him. It's a lot of responsibility for an almost-5-year-old, but he has handled it very well! He often protects you from his friends and doesn't allow them to make fun of you when you and I go to Tyler's school to pick him up. You are also very excited about going to the same school as Tyler (which will happen after the first of the new year).

We are so excited about watching you and Tyler experience the Christmas season this year. You both helped decorate the Christmas tree and put up the Christmas lights on the porch. You love looking at the neighbors' lights and decorations, so we often walk down the street and watch the inflatable Santa go in and out of his chimney. Daddy and I can't wait to sing Christmas carols with you both, take you and Tyler on a Tacky Lights Tour, and find out what you want Santa to bring you!

I love you so much, my sweet Mason! Happy 2nd birthday!

Love,
Mommy

Tailgating, Mason is 21 Months, Random Tyler bit

Well, I missed Mason’s 21 month birthday :( It came and went during Labor Day weekend, when we went up to stay with my parents and attend the VT vs. Boise State football game at FedEx Field. What a disappointment (the game, not the visit)!

I did get to see some of my friends from college, we tailgated for 7 hours before the game, while my parents graciously cared for the boys during the day/evening. Lots of fun was had until we lost the game:
When we got back to my parents house late that night, this is what we found:

So, now is as good a time as any to write my monthly letter to Mason!

Dear Mason,

You are 21 months old, but you look and act older than 2 years. You are talking SO well, very clearly pronouncing many sounds and words. Your favorite saying, right now, is, “Awesome!” which sounds like, “Awthum!”

You can recognize almost all of the letters of the alphabet (you have trouble with C, L, and V) but you pronounce each letter so well!

You are starting to speak in 2 and 3 word sentences. You’ll say things like, “Here, Mommy,” “Juice, please,” “My turn, now” or, “What happened?” Many things that Tyler or I say, you say, too, in the correct context.

You can go up and down stairs without crawling or sitting down, as long as you are holding on to a wall, railing, or grown-up :) You can jump up and down on both feet, and you climb up every piece of furniture you can (before Mommy tells you to get down).

You (unfortunately) like watching TV shows with Tyler. Right now, your favorite shows are Thomas the Train, Dora, the Little Einsteins, and the Super Mario Brothers.

You weigh just over 30 lbs, and are 33 inches tall. Your shoe is size 9.5, (red sneakers to match Tyler’s red sneakers).


Random Tyler Bits:

We’ve read How the Grinch Stole Christmas a few times this year, and in the book the Who’s serve “roast beast” during Christmas dinner. The drawing of the “roast beast” looks just like a roast turkey. So, when Tyler sees a picture of a roast turkey or even when I buy rotisserie chicken, he calls it “roast beast.”

Jellyfish, Moving Up

We’re back from another busy weekend. I have a feeling that we are only at the beginning of busy weekends for this fall. I got to watch Tyler for the first time at his swimming lessons on Saturday morning. He did such a great job and is probably the most water-adapted in his class (of 4 kids). He listened to the instructor really well and followed directions well, too. Tyler seems so natural in the water! While I was watching his lessons, Mike took Mason in the shallow end of the pool where Mason could stand. They were having a good time, too. Mason LOVES the water, and I’m glad we have this pool membership through VCU so we can take the boys every week even in the fall and winter so they get more and more comfortable/confident in the water.

After the pool, Mike picked up his books for his fall classes, and then we all headed out to Yorktown Beach. What a lovely place! Everyone there was really nice and the town is so cute and quaint. Even though the water was full of jellyfish, we spent a good 4 hours at the beach building sand “castles” (more like sand piles), digging holes, watching boats and jet skis, and tossing jellyfish into the rocks. After we packed up our stuff and dropped everything off at the car, we walked back to a Ben and Jerry’s restaurant along the main strip. The four of us sat outside eating ice cream and mooching off of Mike’s Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie and were able to catch a bride and her bridal party on their way to her wedding!

The boys fell asleep in the car on the way back, and they miraculously both stayed asleep as we transferred them into their beds an hour and a half later. They both slept through the night and didn’t wake up until about 7am or so on Sunday.

I forced the boys to take baths on Sunday morning, before church, and we all went to the early service. Mason didn’t cry at all when I left him in the daycare! Another miracle! :)

On Monday, we found out that Tyler is moving up to the Pre-K class next week!! I’m a little surprised, actually, because he’s only been in his current classroom for about 3 months. The Pre-K classes go on field trips and work more on learning things that will get the kids ready for Kindergarten (obviously). I’m excited for him, because I think he will finally feel challenged. He always seems to be ahead of what they are teaching at his preschool. I’m really hoping that this class will get him more excited about reading, which he does try to do at home, but he doesn’t usually have the patience to sit for a long time to figure words out. He just wants to hear the story already!

Mason is 20 months old!

Dear Mason,

Today you are 20 months and 5 days old! You are definitely a toddler now, and growing more and more into a little boy each day.

We recently moved you into a toddler bed, and there was almost no transition time! You loved it right away, and are able to sleep in it all night. I think you like the independence of being able to get in and out by yourself, and you might have remembered it from when Tyler had it in his room…so it wasn’t completely new and unfamiliar.
You’ve learned so much in just the past month, and lots of things have changed. You’re not clingy when I leave you with your Aunt Michelle or at the church daycare anymore. In fact, the last time I left you with Aunt Michelle, you smiled and waved goodbye to me!

You can jump up and down with two feet and keep your balance (i.e., not fall over when you land), and you can kick a ball with your right foot very well! You can walk up and down stairs while holding on to a railing or someone’s hand. You can stack blocks on top of one another, and you enjoy knocking them over afterwards.

You can imitate complicated physical moves that you see someone demonstrating. Daddy was teaching Tyler how to underhand pass a volleyball, and you held your arms out just like Tyler and Daddy, and you were able to pass a ball like that! A few days ago, Mommy was teaching Tyler some yoga poses, and you copied Downward Dog, Cobra, and Warrior 1! And you were able to touch your toes while standing up.

You use so many words now, and you are beginning to speak in 2-word sentences. Yesterday, we pulled into the driveway and you saw Daddy’s car, so you told me, “Daddy home.” This morning, as we pulled into your daycare’s neighborhood, you said, “All done car,” I think mainly because you wanted to get out of the car, not because you knew where we were. You say “bye-bye” to things as we drive past them every morning (“Bye-bye twee,” “bye-bye caah,” “bye-bye owse,” for tree, car and house). You know many of your body parts (head, ears, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, neck, arms, hands, fingers, elbow, legs, feet, toes, belly) and can point to them on yourself and on other people when asked.

You can recognize some letters (A, B, C, K, O, P) already, and you can count to 10 with some help. You say the last word in each line of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and you can sing “Happy birthday to you.” You LOVE the Little Einsteins, in fact you like to start your day by watching a show, which you ask for by saying, “Eintein?” to either Daddy or me. Luckily, Tyler has a newfound interest in the Little Einsteins, too, so you both watch the shows together.

It has been a crazy, wonderful month! Summer is coming to an end, and I am looking forward to watching you and Tyler experience all that comes with the fall season!

Love you so much!
Mommy

Like...

So, lately, Tyler has been using the word “like” in conversation. I don’t mean he says, “I really like pancakes.” He uses it as a filler, as in, “I went to, like, the sandbox and I sat down and played, like, Transformers.” He’ll talk like this usually right after he gets home from pre-school, so I’m sure it’s something he picked up from his friends (or maybe a teacher?). I just wasn’t expecting to have to deal with this problem a) with a boy, and b) when that boy is only 4 ½! I realized that I use the word “like” more often than I want to, so now I’ll really have to watch my mouth at home. Forget worrying about cursing in front of my kids, I’m worried that I’ll sound too much like a valley girl!

Fun with the girls...Aunt Laurel's House

We just had a super fun weekend at Aunt Laurel’s house! Tyler and Mason freaking LOVE their Aunt Laurel’s and all the fun stuff we do there. It’s seriously like a mini-summer camp for them, especially Tyler. A total of 9 cousins, 7 aunts and uncles, and occasionally Laurel’s friends were there.

Mike and I took Friday off of work to make our 3-day weekend into a 4-day weekend. We spent the day relaxing and hanging out with the boys, and packing for our weekend-o-fun! On Saturday, we left after a quick lunch and arrived at Laurel’s and the kids proceeded to start going wild with their cousins. Within a half hour, Mike’s brother arrived with his family and all the kids were outside playing by the pond, in the sandbox, and throwing Styrofoam airplanes across the yard.

Us girls snuck out for the evening to watch Eclipse (the third film in the Twilight “Saga”), and left the hubbys to put the kids to bed. Thanks, Mike!! :) While we were at the movies, Mike’s brother, Dave, arrived with his family (new baby!).

Sunday was also jam-packed with activity! Mike and I tried to fit in our Yoga X workout of our P90X exercise plan, but were only able to do the first ½ hour of the hour and a half-long routine before 5 children started getting in our way.

We took the kids to Laurel’s pool, went back home to rest/nap/etc., then built a bonfire and roasted marshmallows and made S’mores! YUM!! Mike, Jay, and Laurel camped outside in tents with all the older kids. The rest of us stayed inside with Mason and baby Mea.

Monday was the last day-o-fun :( We took pictures of each family, then of the kids together, then of the adults in various groupings, and then had to say goodbye. I felt like a camp counselor…we had so much fun!! Thanks so much, Laurel, for letting us take over your house! Can’t wait until next time!

Mason is 19 months old!

Dear Mason,

Today you are 19 months old! How time does fly. You’re much more of a little boy now than a toddler…you’re almost as tall as your 3-year-old cousin, Jaime!

Watching you grow and learn is such a pleasure. Hearing you say new words every day is so exciting, and we try to encourage you to talk often. I’ve lost track of all the words you can say, but I’m always surprised at how well you pronounce things. The other day you said the word “slide” clearly as I had just said it. You currently do this very cute pout after you say, “No!” where you pout your lips to the point that you look like you want to give someone a kiss. But you also furrow your eyebrows and look mad, it’s all really very darling :)

Your last doctor’s appointment was a week ago, where we found out you were 28.4 lbs and 34 inches tall. People who don’t know you often think you are 2 years old (that’s the size you’ve been wearing for a few months, by the way) and probably expect you to act older, so they’re surprised when I tell them you’re only a year-and-a-half. You also wear size 7/8 toddler shoes! Ms. Bonnie (your daycare provider) thinks that you’ll be a linebacker ;)

Love you!
Mommy

Mason is 18 months old!

Dear Mason,

I can’t believe it, but today you are already 18 months old!! My little baby is growing up so fast! You want to do everything your big brother does, and you do!

You really like trains now (you can say “chew chew”) and I’ve seen you lay down on the ground and use other toys as trains and watch them as you pull them along the ground, the way Tyler used to do when he was younger. It’s funny, because I don’t think you’ve ever seen him do it, but now it’s something you’re doing! You love playing with the Take-Along Thomas the Train toys, wooden trains, Geotrax, and you love watching the train in Tyler’s room go around and around.

You’re a boy through and through, because you also love cars and trucks! Mommy and Daddy took you and Tyler to a Monster Truck show on the beach at Virginia Beach on Mother’s Day. We had such a good time, and you enjoyed your very first Monster Truck show! You sat through the entire 2 hours watching all the trucks race and fly through the air.

































There are so many words you can say! Even since I wrote your last letter, you’ve learned so many more words. You can say a lot of words by just copying someone, too.

Roar! (You say this when you see a lion or a dinosaur!)
Oo ah (you usually say this when we say “monkey”)
Monkey (muhkee)
Ba (you know that sheep say this)
Neigh (you know that horses say this)
Choo-choo (chew-chew, you know that trains say this)
Mommy (mom-mee)
Daddy (dah-dee)
Snack (nack)
Night night (nigh nigh)
Ay na ko! (ka koh!)
Tyler (Ty-tuh)
Sky (ky)
Blue (boo)
Yellow (lel-oh)
Red (yed)
Thank you (tah yew)
Please (peese)
Baby
Me
Boo!
Wow
Whoa!
Love you (oh yew)
Circle (ku-koo)
Cheese (tee, which you say when you see a camera)
Dude (doood)
House (oww)
Dirt (dit)
Banana (mumana)
Yeah
No
Down (dow)
Cracker (ka-kuh)

Back up
You snort when you hear the word “pig,” it’s the coolest thing!

You are very emotional when you don’t get your way: If you don’t want to sit in the carseat, you writhe and stretch and cry so much that it takes several tries for me to actually get you buckled in; if you want a snack or a drink and we didn’t get you the right one, you will bat away or throw away everything we give you until you get the one you want; if you don’t want to do something that we are making you do (say, get up from your nap or from bed) you’ll cry and scream and throw yourself on the floor…it’s all we can do to just make sure that you don’t hurt yourself! I hope that as you’re learning more and more words, you’ll be able to communicate more about what you want and how you feel, and maybe you won’t get so frustrated with silly ol’ Mommy and Daddy :)

You’re not far off of being able to communicate, though. Just the other day, you and I were home together (you had a fever) and you walked over to a folded up ball pit tent that we have for you and Tyler. It was folded up and in it’s bag, but you knew what it was and pointed to it and said to me, “Peese?” So, not only are you learning to communicate what you want, you’re learning to do it politely!!

You’re also beginning to understand that other people have feelings, too. On a few occasions, you have accidentally hurt Tyler while you two were playing, so I usually tell you, “Mason, you hurt Tyler. Can you please tell him you’re sorry?” You then immediately go to Tyler and give him a hug! It helps that Tyler also does that to you :)

You are still a great eater, and can now successfully eat with a spoon and fork (separately, and messily). You have learned how to take bites of food, so we can give you a whole banana, and you are usually successful in eating it (although messily).

With such great eating habits, it’s good that you love having your teeth brushed, and you’ll willingly sit on the step-stool in the bathroom and open your mouth so that Mommy or Daddy can brush your teeth. You like playing in the bathtub, but dislike actually getting shampooed and soaped up. In fact, you usually cry and try to get out!

You love to climb! You can climb up and down stairs, but if you’re near a handrail, you try to walk down them. You climb up onto the couch, chairs, tables, over Mommy and Daddy, pillows, onto Tyler’s bed…everywhere!

You love being outside, playing with ride-on toys, playing in water or sand, and generally being able to run around! You also love riding in the Power Wheels cars that your cousins have, and they are all very sweet and enjoy driving you around in them. Jenna drives you around very slowly and carefully, Lauren drives you around fast and until the battery in her car runs out, and Jaime likes to show off for you. You love all of it! Even when nobody is there to drive you, you like to just sit in any of the cars!

With the hot weather we’ve had lately, we like to sit outside after we all get home from work/daycare, and since Daddy doesn’t have any summer classes, it’s very nice to hang out and relax as a family. You and Tyler usually play in the water table, and end up very wet! You’ve learned how to eat a frozen popsicle by watching Tyler, but you still prefer to bang the popsicle on the deck instead of eating it.




















We took you and Tyler to a paint-your-own pottery store, where each of you made a very cool piece of art. We also made stepping stones for your Lola with your footprint and Tyler’s handprint (you each have your own stones). It seems like you’re learning a new word or doing something new every day, I feel so blessed to be able to watch you learn and grow, and so lucky that I get to be your Mommy

I love you!!
Mommy

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! :)