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

Fourth of July Pictures

As our family and our extended families grow, I notice that we are trying to establish some traditions. I think that we're trying to get a fun one started, and this is my family's second year participating. Mike's sister and her family invite us to their house every 4th of July (or the closest weekend). They invite all of Mike's siblings and their families, and all of the cousins enjoy playing together all weekend. Two years ago, we all took family photos at my sister-in-law's house. They turned out great, and I truly hope it becomes a yearly tradition. As this blog is public, I'm only going to post photos of my own family. We had 8 kids there, ranging in ages from Mason (7 months) to my nephew who is 8 years old. Believe it or not, we actually got a photo of all the kids together, smiling, AND looking at the camera! Then, we even got a good photo of the entire family (those who made it down)!

Here are the photos of me and the main guys in my life:

Family picture:

Mike and his boys:

Tyler and Mason:
Me and Mike:

7 Months Old!

Dear Mason,

Today, you are 7 months old. It seems like I was just writing your 6-month letter yesterday, but here you are over half a year old! You are such a joy to be around, you smile so easily and laugh at so many things. You are a very ticklish baby, so we take advantage of that often. You’re still very easy-going, happy to play with toys or watch Tyler play with toys. You’re most happy when Tyler is playing with you, though I think you’ll settle for Mommy or Daddy. We love kissing your chubby legs, tummy, arms, cheeks, and nuzzling your neck.

You are a very good sitter, in fact, you love to sit in the bathtub and take a bath with Tyler. He loves taking baths with you, too! Tyler happily shares his toys and bathtub space with you. Though you sit very well, you still don’t like being on your tummy. You might tolerate a minute or two of tummy time, but you would rather be sitting up and able to see what’s going on around you. You still haven’t rolled over yet (either from tummy to back or from back to tummy), but I think you’re going to soon!

You have eaten just about everything that you’re allowed to eat, and you can chew little pieces of very soft noodles and bread. You can also eat those small cereal puffs made especially for babies, but you haven’t yet mastered picking them up with two fingers and putting them in your mouth.
You like drinking water from a sippy cup, and you like chewing on the sippy cup even more. You actually like chewing on anything! Two of your bottom front teeth have fully come out, and Daddy thinks that you’re getting ready to cut a top tooth soon.

We love you very much, and Tyler is especially excited that he can interact with you more. He often asks if he can play with you, he tries hard to make you comfortable, and he’s very gentle and loving with you.

Happy 7-month birthday, Mason!!

Love, always,

Mommy

They like each other...so far!

This morning, Mason woke up early (5 am), so I brought him into our room and let him play on the bed with us. After a few minutes, he let me know that he was actually hungry and that’s why he woke up in the first place. So, I fed him a bottle and we snuggled in bed for a few minutes. Close to 6 am, Tyler woke up and came into our room. He climbed in our bed, too, and we had the whole family snuggling for a few minutes this morning. Mason was THRILLED that Tyler was near, and everyone was sleepy and happy. So, I had to get up and actually start the day, take a shower, etc. When I came back to the bedroom after my shower, I noticed that Mason had fallen back asleep and that Tyler was laying next to him and gently patting his forehead. I stood there and watched as Tyler displayed such genuine affection for his little brother. Mike was asleep, and Tyler didn’t think anyone was watching him. And now, I think back to all the times that Tyler and Mason have been near each other: in the bathtub where Mason usually finds his way to Tyler’s side or is pulling on Tyler’s arm or patting his back, when I’m holding Mason on my lap and Tyler also wants to sit with me, or when both boys are on the couch together and Mason inevitably ends up leaning on or laying on Tyler somehow. Not once during those times has Tyler pushed Mason away or yanked his arm away, etc. Mostly, Tyler will tolerate Mason’s closeness, and sometimes he’s even pleased!

If I could only clone myself...

Being a working mom of two, I am still trying to find enough time to spend with both of my children, and my husband. Before we had Mason, I already found it difficult to spend enough time with Tyler. During the week, our main goal for each morning is to get everyone out the door dressed, somewhat fed, and somewhat on time. Our main goal for each evening is to get dinner ready and eaten, get the kids bathed, read stories, and get everyone to bed before 9:30 PM. While that’s a rare occurrence, our evenings are still so busy that I don’t feel I have enough time to just hang out with my kids. I cherish my weekends home with them, and love to spend free time with my family. During the week, if I decide to play with Tyler and Mason for a little while when we get home, dinner doesn’t get on the table until later, and therefore baths and bedtimes get pushed further. To ease my guilt for having them up so late, I tell myself that they’re growing up and they won’t be like this forever, that I need to enjoy and treasure those times instead of feeling guilty.

I played volleyball last night, and I was gone from 6:30 – 9:30 PM. When I got back, Mike had both boys in bed, and he was reading to Tyler. I went in Tyler’s room and said bedtime prayers with them. I asked Mike about Mason, and he told me that I might want to check on him, since it had been a little while since he put him down. Tyler said, “No, I want Mommy to stay with me.” I told Tyler that I would be right back. Well, Mason had a bib on, and it was covering his face, so I flipped it back down and tried to take it off without waking him. That was unsuccessful, and he started crying. I made him a bottle and fed him in the rocking chair. Then, Tyler came in, saying he wanted to say goodnight to Mason. He kissed him, and I kissed Tyler and told him to go back to bed. Mike later told me that Tyler went back to his room, and once he got there, he hung his head and moped slowly back to bed. Mike asked him, “What’s wrong?” Tyler said sadly, “Mommy’s not coming back. She’s feeding Mason.”

Luckily, Tyler was still happy with Mike staying with him, rubbing his back until he fell asleep.

Indy Race!

We took Tyler to the Indy Race last night. Tyler was more excited about watching the pit stops and crash-cleanups than seeing the cars go around the track 300 times. But we still had fun, and the weather was much nicer than last year (although, there were many more crashes last year!)

The sign on the car says "Please Do Not Touch". Hahaha.

There must have been a crash:

How does your garden grow?

Today my parents came down to visit us. They spent the day with us, hanging out and playing with the boys. I showed my mom the tomato, basil, and green pepper plants. Tyler and I planted some sunflower seeds, but they’re just sprouts right now, only a few inches tall. All the plants are looking so good, though! I’m so encouraged by it, I can actually grow healthy plants.

I harvested some basil leaves last week and took advantage of having my mom in town to make some pesto. It turned out so YUMMY!! I can’t wait to make some more!

We’ve also been waiting for the tomato plants to start producing tomatoes, and my mom found one when she was out on the deck with Tyler! Tyler was so excited, he ran inside just to tell me that we had a tomato.

Mike is pretty impressed that I can actually grow stuff, too. All the indoor plants we’ve had while living together have never seemed to survive. Last summer, I planted some “monkey grass” and took care of them. Now they’re still going strong, and multiplying!!

Mason is 6 Months Old!

Dear Mason,

Today, you are 6 months old! You and I went to the pediatrician for your well-baby visit, and we found out that you are a whopping 20 lbs 12 oz., 27 inches tall/long, and are back on the growth chart for your weight! (Your weight was off the chart at your 4-month check-up). You fit best in 12-month clothes right now.

Mason, you are now sitting up very well, though you still lose your balance and fall backwards, sideways, or forwards. Then, you’re stuck and you need help sitting back up. You can’t quite roll over yet, but it looks like that is coming very soon. You are very good at grabbing things and putting them in your mouth. You like grabbing your feet and toes when you don’t have anything else to play with. It also seems like you can understand simple concepts very quickly: we had a dinosaur-shaped toy that has a few holes in it where balls are supposed to be placed. Though you don’t quite have the hand-eye-coordination to put the balls in the holes yet, you know that they go in the holes and if we put one next to a hole, you will push it in.

You love being in the doorway jumper! You get so excited when you’re in there, and you jump all over the place! You will be quite content in the jumper for well over an hour. Sometimes, when we take you out, you still turn and longingly look at it, probably wanting to go back in. Myself, I think it would be pretty fun to have one of those, and I can understand why you like it so much!

You smile at everyone, and it’s very easy to make you laugh (I know to kiss you on your neck and below your ears). You were completely mesmerized with your Uncle Chad, who had a goatee and a mustache when you first met him yesterday.

Mason, you are babbling more and more, but now you consistently say, “Dadadadada,” which has made Daddy very happy! Sometimes, I swear I hear you saying things like, “Hi!” or “Mommy!”

You love to eat baby food! You’ve tried just about everything, and it’s only been a month. You are now opening your mouth for each bite and especially love sweet potatoes.

You cut your first tooth on May 17, 2009, (your bottom tooth) and now your second tooth is coming in next to it! It’s already broken the skin.

You love bathtime. You love watching and feeling the water come out of the faucet into your baby tub (which you will probably outgrow in the next month, or so). You like the feeling of water pouring on your belly, and you love sucking the water out of your washcloth (yuck!). Your big brother also loves taking baths with you. If you’re already asleep at bathtime, Tyler always asks, “Where’s Mason? I want to take a bath with him!”

Your big brother loves playing with you, and I can tell he’s getting more excited as you are able to do more things. He likes showing you how your toys work, he likes sharing his cars and trains with you, and he really gets a kick out of making you smile and laugh.

Mason, we love you so much, and we are overjoyed at watching you grow, knowing that you are on the brink of learning so many more things! Happy 6-month birthday!

Love, with all my heart,
Mommy

Read all the fine print!

So, here is the cover of the box of the kid's "Waterpark" we bought for Tyler:

Look at the kid on the far right, using the water gun at the corner of the pool. Note that he looks about 8 or 10 years old, he's kneeling on the ground, and the side of the pool is above his waist. The gun is almost shoulder-height to him.

Now, look at the basketball hoop, note how the kid shooting the basketball is throwing the ball UP to shoot. THAT kid looks around 7 or 8 years old, also. See the gushing waterfall coming from the arch, and how big the slide is, compared to the kid going down (who also looks about 7 or 8 years old).

See the kid behind the pool, he looks also about 8 and the top of the arch is clearly above his head.

Now, here is a picture of my 3-year-old, 39" tall son playing in the actual pool we pulled out of the box:
The dimensions were clearly labeled on the box, (the length & width, not the height), but we didn't read it. We just looked at the cool picture. Oh well, at least Tyler enjoyed playing in it.

Now, notice how it's called "Hydro Blast". The little watergun that's installed at the corner has a pinhole that water can "blast" out from. It's like being shot with a bathtub squirt toy. Also, if you notice in my picture, we've got the slide off to the side, not even installed, because (though the picture shows it UNDER the gushing waterfall) it's not long enough to reach the sprinkling water coming out of the arch. So, you have to slide into the pool on a dry slide!

Lesson learned.

"Day off"

Today, Mike and I both took the day off, to extend our Memorial Day weekend to a 4-day weekend. We spent all day ripping out the bushes in front of our house and tilling up the soil (removing weeds, roots, and rocks). I got to use my new wagon! Though our yard is small, it was nice to have it to bring stuff from the shed out to the front yard. Tyler and Mason hung out with us outside, and Tyler enjoyed playing in the wagon. He put his snacks and gardening gloves on the wagon. Mason sat in his stroller and was happy just chillin’.

Here is a picture of our house 2 years ago, while we were removing the evergreen-type ground-cover that we had along the corner of our front yard:

And below is a picture I took this afternoon, showing how we removed the shrubs in front of the house:

Now, we need to figure out what we want to plant in front of the house, instead!

All I Want for Mother's Day...

Here is my belated Mother’s Day gift (mine is green):
I say belated, but on Mother’s Day, Mike gave me a gift of sleep and not having to make breakfast. He ended up so frustrated with the skillet pan that we have (it burned half the pancakes he tried to make) that I also ended up with a new skillet! But that wasn’t something I really WANTED. This wagon, I want!

What color is my thumb?

So, I’m actually growing a vegetable garden. I say “actually growing” because that is what the plants are (surprisingly, under my care) doing. They’re growing! None of them are dead! And, it’s been almost a month! Last month, Tyler helped me plant tomatoes, green peppers, and basil. They’re now so big that we’re going to have to transplant some of them to other planters, so that they can (hopefully) grow even more! I hope we get real vegetables from them, and that I can teach my son about plants/gardening/etc. I’m really hoping the basil grows, because I want to make my own pesto sauce. My mom has this wonderful recipe and I can’t wait to have homemade pesto, instead of the salty store-bought pesto!!

Teething

Last Saturday (the day before Mother’s Day), Mason’s first tooth broke through his gums! As happy as I am that he’s growth is on track, I find that I’m counting down the days I have left to enjoy his toothless grins. The only reason we even knew he was teething was his constant drooling. If his gums have been hurting, his disposition hasn’t been affected. He’s been the same happy, smiley little guy. Tyler was like that, too, not really affected too much by teething. Mason does love chewing on everything, though. Most notably, his hands, but I found a cool pacifier-shaped teether that he can hold easily which has a gummy/rubbery tongue, instead of a pacifier nipple.

Birthday Cake

My sister loves watching the Oprah Winfrey show. She tries to catch it every day, and since she’s home with her 3 girls, they (obviously) are very familiar with Oprah, as well. Two weeks ago, my sister turned 30. Today was her daughter, Hannah’s, birthday. Prior to both birthdays, my sister asked Hannah who she wanted on her birthday cake. Hannah promptly told her that she wanted Dora on her cake. Then, Hannah asked her mom what was going to be on her cake. My sister said that flowers or candles would be nice. But my niece didn’t think that was enough. She asked, “No, Mommy, what PERSON are you going to have on your cake?” My sister replied, “I don’t know, who do you think should be on my cake?” My niece responded, “I know! How about Oprah?!”
So, today we went to my niece’s 3rd birthday party. The kids had fun with their cousins, and I also got to see and visit with my family. My mom and I thought that my sister deserved a birthday cake, as well. This is what we brought her:

Days and Months

Here is Tyler singing the days of the week:

And reciting the months of the year:

5 months!

Dear Mason,

Today, you are 5 months old. You probably weigh over 20 lbs and your hair is growing in more evenly. You're growing so fast, all your milestones are seeming to fly by! I missed playing with you today. We were all so busy with errands after I got home from work, and Daddy had class this evening...it seemed like we were all just bustling around all afternoon and evening. Before I knew it, it was time for you to go to bed. Right now, you're asleep in your crib, and I want to sneak in there and pick you up and hold you in my arms.

Speaking of milestones...we started feeding you baby food about a week and a half ago. We first started with oatmeal (mixed with apple juice) and you LOVED it! I think it's the apple juice ;) You took to it very well. Two days ago, we started you on carrots (baby food). They're a bit soupy, so I might get you the "2nd Foods" version, and try that. You sure love eating, though!

You are also sitting up much better. You're still not sitting on your own, but I can tell that's coming very soon. You would rather be upright than laying back. In fact, you usually try to muscle yourself to a sitting position if we set you down in any reclined position. You love your doorway jumper...I mean you REALLY love it! You can still stay in it for almost an hour, I think it makes you feel free.

You are grabbing things and picking things up (then putting them in your mouth) much better, though your favorite thing to chew on is your own finger...any of them.

We moved you from an infant carrier to a convertible car seat about 2 weeks ago (you were actually about 20 lbs 2 weeks ago, so I'm sure you're heavier now!), since you're near the weight limit of our infant carrier. You don't seem to like being put in the car seat, though, you always cry when we put you in there if we don't distract you enough.

Random

Mason is a great eater. He always loved nursing, and then formula, and now baby food. He has been eating oatmeal mixed with apple juice (which he loves!) for about a week, now. Tonight, I introduced carrots to him. Loves them!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this might mean he won't be a picky eater. Tyler wasn't a picky eater, either, and it was awesome. He ate so well and so healthy.

One thing that Tyler loves to do is ask us about our favorites. Especially about our favorite parts of movies or tv shows. He's asked us so many times that he knows what our answers are going to be. His "favorite" parts somehow end up being the same as ours, too.

Tyler's attention span has definitely increased, also. He can play a board game all the way through, following directions. We recently found a Thomas the Train board game at a yard sale (for $0.50!) and he LOVES it. We've actually played that 2 or 3 times in a row with him.

2 Cute Things

We usually say a short prayer before dinner, but one evening, Tyler busted out his own prayer! We later found out that he says it every day at daycare, which I was pleasantly surprised about. It seems that they're still teaching the right things in some of our schools! :)



Then, he showed us how they also say the Pledge of Allegiance:

Old and...

This afternoon, Tyler was especially energetic: running around, hopping, jumping, falling down on purpose, etc. He kept asking me and Mike, "Can you do this?" and then he would do some crazy move like jump up and land on his knees, or something. When he did that (land on his knees), I winced and said, "No, Mommy is too old to do that." His reply, "But I can do it because I'm new?"

********************************************************************************

Later, we were all rough-housing, Mike and I were on the ground and Tyler was taking turns jumping on top of each of us. Right after Tyler had landed on me, I grabbed him while I was laying down and tried to sit up with him in my arms. It was wholly unsuccessful, since I don't have the ab strength to sit myself up with an additional 35 lbs attached to my shoulders. I repositioned Tyler and tried to sit up again, finally doing it on my 3rd try. Tyler smiled at me and said, "I knew you could do it, Mommy!"
Me: Thanks Tyler, you had more faith in me than I did.
Tyler: More face? (Tyler touched his face with his hands) I only have one face, Mommy.

"I love you, Mommy."

Last night, after I gave Tyler a bath, I was trying to wrangle him so that I could get him dressed in his PJs. I sat on the floor in his room and held out his underwear for him to step into, exasperatedly asking him to put it on. He wrapped his arms around my neck and picked up one foot at a time so that I could stick his feet in his underwear. As we were doing this, Tyler said, “I’m hugging you, Mommy.”

Me: I know. Thank you.

Tyler: I love you, Mommy.

Me: (suddenly softening up, grabbing up my son and cuddling him in my lap…and not feeling so exasperated anymore) Ohhh, Tyler! I love you, too!

Tyler: I wish we could go to a school for grown-ups AND kids so that we could be together all day.

Me: I do, too. I wish I could spend all day with you.

These are bittersweet times, hearing Tyler say “I love you” in his sweet voice, so clear and sure, and knowing that all he wants is to be with me and Mike are things that I dreamed about while I was holding him when he was a baby. As a new mom, I loved him so HARD! I remember holding him as an infant and wishing I could hug him enough to show him how much I loved him, how I wanted him to always fall asleep while I or Mike was holding him, so his last moments of each day were spent in one of our arms. And I remember feeling like it would be FOREVER until Tyler would ever be able to say “I love you.” So, now he says it, and he says it often, which I love, but I know the times that I spent during his infancy wishing that he would get older so that he could finally verbally affirm his love are times that I should have enjoyed more. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy them! But, now that I know that the babyhood is such a short time in our children’s lives, and I know that our children KNOW we love them and that they DO reciprocate in their own way (by their first smiles at us, by not wanting us to leave them, etc.), I have enjoyed being Mason’s mommy in a more complete way. I’m sure the confidence that I’ve been through it before allows me to relax, but I’m also in no hurry for Mason’s babyhood to pass by. I look at his face as he gives me a toothless smile and try to fix that picture in my mind, so that I can go back to it whenever I choose.

Tyler does give great hugs, though. And he’s a strong little guy, so he’s strong enough to handle the hugs we give back!

Jumping Jumping

On Friday, I put Mason in a doorway jumper for the first time. He has been really enjoying the stand-up entertainer that we have (which we put by a window so he can also look outside), and he seemed to have more control over his head. So, I put him in the jumper and he LOVED it!! Seriously, he enjoyed it so much! At first he kind of just hung out, turned himself in different directions, enjoyed being upright…but then he figured out how to bounce. Mason bounced and jumped in the doorway jumper for nearly an hour! We went away for the weekend, and didn’t take the jumper with us, but when we came back yesterday (Sunday), I put Mason in the doorway jumper again while I was making dinner, and he was content (happily jumping and bouncing, and turning to face in the kitchen then in the living room) even while we ate dinner! Check him out!

"I Like to Move It"

Last night, Tyler sang and danced for us :)

Pictures

Daddy and Mason at Jaime's birthday party

Me and my superhero :)

Tyler a.k.a. Batman

Mason is 4 Months Old!

Dear Mason,


Although I find it hard to believe, yesterday you were 4 months old. When “they” tell you that time flies with your second child, “they” really do know what they’re talking about. At your recent check-up (about a week and a half ago), you weighed 17 lbs 14 oz. and were 25 inches long/tall. Your weight is off the growth charts J and your length is in the higher percentile range.

I have cherished all of you sweet smiles this past month, which you give out so readily. You smile most when I kiss and nuzzle your neck and ears, so I do that quite often. When you’re in the mood, you like zrrbrts blown on your bare tummy. Your big brother, Tyler, has recently tried giving you zrrbrrts, too! You like any attention from him, so you always smile when he’s around you.

A great majority of the time (at least 95%), you are easy to please and quite mellow. In the past month, you have learned how to really, really cry. You’ve grown out of the quiet newborn cry to a full-blown, red-in-the-face, ear-piercing cry. You also have tears! But, I must say that your crying is not unpleasant to me. None of it is annoying, and since we hear it so rarely (the other 5% of the time), nobody minds hearing it for a minute or two while your bottle is prepared or while I’m rocking you to sleep.

You sleep through the night like a champ! We try to get you in bed around 9 or 10pm, and I usually have to wake you up around 6:15 or 6:30 am during the week and feed you before I drop you off at daycare. On the weekends, you have slept until 8:30 or 9am! Usually, you will wake up around 7:30 or 8am, and most mornings you wake up happy.


You love to coo and gurgle at us! You enjoy when we talk back to you, too. Every day, we usually have a conversation or two with lots of back-and-forth between you and either me or Daddy.

You are definitely grabbing things, though not quite so controlled yet. You can grab a toy or a blanket and bring it to your mouth, and you love to use your feet & legs to kick and stand. Your legs and tummy muscles are SO strong!

Mason, we love to snuggle with you, hug you (it’s so easy now that you’re so nice and chubby), play with you, listen to your cooing, and rock you to sleep. You are a joy to be around! You and Tyler have made us (Mommy and Daddy) look like really good parents! Thank you for gracing us with your gorgeous smiles and for showing us every day how truly blessed we are.

Love, always,

Mommy

My Birthday Surprise

When I came home from work on Thursday, my birthday, one of my girlfriends (Laurie) was sitting in my living room!! I was totally caught off guard and surprised! After many exclamations of joy and hugs, the plan was divulged to me:

Apparently, for the past year my dear, sweet, awesome husband has been scheming with my college girlfriends to plan a girls' weekend. My friend Sara was arriving that evening and Julie was arriving the next morning. Mike had covered all his bases to make sure I didn't find out that they were coming down to visit. He had been planning his weekend with them over email through his work account for the past year! Unfortunately, Mike's grandfather passed away the week before and the funeral was scheduled for the same weekend that my friends came down. Mike had planned to watch our kids while my friends were in town, but since he couldn't, he enlisted the help of our sister-in-law, Michelle, who graciously took our kids in a few times over the weekend so that I could go out with my girlfriends.

Anyway, like I said, my friend Laurie was already at our house when I came home. So, after I got over the surprise, I thought,"The house!! We left it in shambles last night!" But, as I looked around, I saw that everything was picked up and the kitchen was clean! Then found out that Mike had gotten up in the morning and got dressed to go to work and drop Tyler off just like any other day, but he actually had the day off. After he dropped off Tyler, he called me and told me he felt sick and was going to go home and "rest." Instead, he spent all morning cleaning the house (he vacuumed, cleaned the bathrooms, put toys away, scrubbed the kitchen...) until he had to leave to pick up Laurie from the airport. Then, he and Laurie ran a bunch of errands (if you call picking up beer and a birthday cake errands) until I called and asked if he could pick up Tyler later that afternoon. Mike had even checked with my boss to make sure it would be okay if I took Friday off, since I'd want to hang out with my girlfriends!

My girlfriends and I had a great weekend. I got to show them around, they got to meet Mason and play with Tyler, and we did lots of shopping and eating out :) We went to the Melting Pot for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! I had so much fun just talking and chatting with them. It had been a long time since I had seen any of them, so having them here was a real treat and probably the best birthday present I've ever received. Knowing that my friends would take tim out and travel to celebrate my birthday and that Mike would go to such lengths to plan something like this just so I could have a good time is such a wonderful feeling!

So, anyway, I've got wonderful people in my life and my husband is totally friggin' awesome!!

3 1/2 Months

Actually, Mason is closer to 4 months old, and knowing that, I cannot believe how fast these past months have gone by. We don't know if Mason is going to be our last child, so I find myself wanting to take in so much more while he's still a baby. But, I also find myself having less time to do it. Luckily, he's been sleeping through the night for several weeks now, but every night I wish that he would wake up and want a bottle, just so I can spend some extra time with him. He's the sweetest thing. Mason will smile at the drop of a hat and snuggle into your shoulder when you hold him. He loves to grab onto your finger with uncanny strength while you feed him a bottle...those fists are really hard to pry apart!

3 Months

Dear Mason,

On Thursday, you were 3 months old! You now weigh over 15 lbs and you are 23.5 inches long/tall :) You are a sweet, lovable, huggable little guy who loves to smile at Mommy and Daddy. You have 2 cute little dimples and lots of little baby fat folds! You are a snuggly little guy and you only cry if you're hungry or tired. On Thursday night, we watched as you purposely grabbed Daddy's finger over and over! We were so excited for you and so happy to watch you learn!

You can hold your head up very well, and you enjoy sitting up more than laying down. You still don't like lying on your tummy, but if you're propped up high enough, you will tolerate it longer. You like sitting in your exersaucer, being upright, and playing with the toys that light up and make sounds. You are still fascinated by your big brother and like to watch and listen to him when he plays near you.

Mommy and Daddy love you very much and are so proud of you and how much you're growing!

We love you!

Mommy and Daddy

Arrrgh, Matey!

Tyler and Mike were pretending to be pirates this evening and Mike made a treasure map for Tyler to follow around our living room. It was the cutes thing I'd ever seen! Mike was telling Tyler what he had to do at different points along the treasure route, and then they followed the map around the room to eventually find the "treasure" (Tyler's Thomas trains). Here's a picture of the map that Mike drew:

Tyler was so cute because he kept talking like a pirate using a low voice and prefacing Mike or my names with "Arrgh, Matey" like it was part of our name. So, he would say, "ArrghMateyDaddy, look what I'm doing," or "Hey, ArrghMateyMommy, you need to get on the ship!" What an imagination!

Snow Day!

March welcomed us by blanketing our city in 6 inches of powdery snow this past weekend. Schools were closed Monday, along with both my and Mike's offices. We immediately called Mike's brother, Jay, to see if we could bring Tyler over to play with his cousins in the snow. We bundled Tyler up to resemble the Michelin Man and headed over to play. We ourselves were decked out in ski gear, too :)
Once at his cousins' house, Tyler went outside with them to play in the snow. At first, Mike and Jay pulled the kids on boogie boards or a surfboard (which shows just how used to snow we all are).


But, after a few trips on the boards, the kids were feeling cold (it was rather windy) and eventually went inside. After warming up, playing together, and eating some lunch, we managed to convince the kids to go back outside and play. Mike and Jay had turned Jay's deck stairs into a snow slide by packing snow into the stairs and creating a smooth surface. The slide extended across the entire back yard and probably ended a few feet into the neighbor's back yard. Once the kids started going down the slide, they couldn't get enough! They forgot how cold it was, they took turns going down, and each of them had big, wide smiles on their faces as they came down the slide.
As you can see, Tyler had a BLAST going down the slide! It's really too bad we don't get opportunities like this more often. This is the first big snow that Tyler's been able to enjoy.


Here's the view from on top of the deck. Tyler's down at the bottom and Mike is getting ready to take him up to the top. Mike and Jay had to carry each of the kids back up to the top and use the footholds they dug out along the sides of the stairs. There were only 4 or 5 footholds from the ground to the deck, so the kids weren't able to climb up themselves. Anyway, you can see the slide is pretty high and long...I think we've created some rollercoaster riders ;)

It was a fun day, we were all tired and cold by the time we went back home, but we cranked on our gas fireplace, took naps and enjoyed this rare occasion.