Photo Shoot

In an effort to save some money, we opted to take our own family pictures instead of going to a professional. While we still have a lot to learn about lighting, etc., the pictures came out very well for taking them on our own (using our camera's timer mode). And now we've got a picture of the whole family!

We started potty-training Tyler the week before he turned 3. He took to it very quickly and easily. Mike thought the best way to approach potty-training was to just go cold-turkey with diapers. No pull-ups, nothing but regular “big boy” underwear. We started on Saturday, January 17. Tyler’s day care teachers had also thought it was a good idea to go cold-turkey and wanted us to bring him to school that following Monday in regular underwear. Well, the weekend went splendidly! Tyler had a few accidents on Saturday morning, but by Sunday, he was going when we asked him to and doing a wonderful job! It’s been 3 weeks and, although he still has an accident now and then, they’ve only happened when he’s with us :)

We did hit a rough patch with pooping, though. When we put Tyler in underwear, he didn’t poop for 3 days. And when he did poop, it was in his underwear. We talked to him and explained to him where his poop was supposed to go. We offered him candy and toys, which he would get if he pooped in the potty. But he told me that he was scared about doing it. So, 3 days later, Tyler pooped in his underwear again. By now, this apparently wasn’t so bad to him. So, he pooped almost every day in his underwear, but only at home (he didn’t poop at all at school). Usually, when he pooped in his underwear, he also peed, so the mess was not easy to clean up. Mike enacted a rule in the house for Tyler: if he pooped or peed in his underwear, then he had to take a shower. Tyler didn’t like that rule too much, especially since the day after the rule was enacted, Tyler took a total of 5 showers.

Well, Tyler must have had an epiphany last weekend, or maybe he overcame his fear of pooping in the potty, because on Saturday, (February 7, 2009) he pooped (A LOT) in his potty! No more cleaning up poopy underwear! I asked him, like I always did, to sit on his potty and try to poop, since I knew it was about that time. I gave him his Leapster handheld game to play, and left him alone. I did hear him grunting a bit, and a few minutes later, Tyler yelled, “Mommy, I pooped!” So, I ran into the bathroom and I could smell it before I saw it…in Tyler’s potty was a pile of poop! I was so excited! I called Mike in to see it and we all did a little poopy dance J

Yesterday, Tyler must have overcome his fear of pooping in the “grown up” toilet, because he pooped there for the first time. Ahhh, even nicer to not have to clean up poop from the potty, either! GO TYLER! Thank you for making potty-training so easy!

First Smiles

Today, Mason smiled at me. A real, “I’m having fun, Mommy” smile. He actually smiled at me 5 or 6 times, and each time I giggled and cooed at him, so he did it again. I was giving him a bath in his baby tub, and after I soaped him up and scrubbed between all his chubby fat folds, I rinsed him off and filled the tub up with clean, warm water. Oh how he LOVED it! Maybe he loved feeling so light, or maybe he loved the warmth of the water, but whatever it was, Mason was having a ball! He watched me pour water on his tummy and cooed at me. Then, he smiled such a cute, dimpled smile…I melted. When we first had Tyler, I didn’t think that I could love anyone else so completely, but here I am, loving my new son just as much!

2 Months

Dear Mason,

Today you are 9-1/2 weeks old. Daddy took you to the doctor for your 2-month check-up and you weighed 14 lbs 13 oz.
Mason, you only seem to cry when you are hungry or when you need to be changed. Sometimes, if you’re in the mood to sit up and look around and we have you lying down, you might whine a little, but once you’re sitting up, you’re happy again. You are a sweet and cuddly little guy, and I think you prefer to be held and snuggled, but you’re so laid back that hanging out in your play gym or swing is cool with you, too.

You’ve started to talk to us (coo and gurgle) a little. You really light up you’re your big brother, Tyler, talks or sings to you. You look for him and zero in on his face when he talks to you. He loves you so much and is very gentle with hugging and kissing you.

Though you are a chubby baby, you can hold your head up for several seconds at a time. You’ve actually been able to do this for a long time, now. You are wearing 3 – 6 month clothes already, and the 0 – 6 month size socks we have you in are getting too small.

You have long, beautiful eyelashes, dark brown hair, and brown eyes. Your cheeks are so kissable and your tummy is perfect for blowing raspberries (Mommy and Daddy call them zzrrbrrrts).

Daddy and I love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

My first 3-year-old

Dear Tyler,

I can’t believe it, but you’re already three years old. Having your little brother, Mason, has made me realize how much you have truly grown, because I can still clearly remember what you were like as a baby. Seeing you now, with all your strength and independence, makes me so proud to be your Mommy, because I helped to get you to this point.

You are 38 inches tall and weigh 34 lbs. You have size 9.5/10 feet and wear (mostly) size 3T clothes.

You are such an active kid. And now I can actually call you a kid, because you’re no longer toddling around, unsure of your feet. You love jumping on your bed, you love jumping off of furniture, and from our couch to our chair, then back again. You just love jumping. Often, you land with a loud “thud” on the floor, sometimes you yell “Geronimo!” as you jump, but I think it sounds more like “Germino!” I can’t wait until we’re able to get a swing and some climbing playground equipment for you, because you love to play at playgrounds and parks.

You are also very talkative and so smart! I have gotten so many compliments from your current and past teachers and babysitters about how well you pronounce words or how they can count on you for the right answers. Of course, you were able to recognize all the letters of the alphabet, numbers 1 – 10, and many different colors before you were even 2 years old. Now, you can recognize your friends’ names when they’re written down and you can tell us what letters are at the beginning of any word we ask you. You are so curious about words, and you can pick up the correct pronunciation and use of many words and phrases very quickly. Many times, I’ll overhear you playing with your trains and you’ll talk about how an engine is “steaming along” or how another engine is “coupled up” to a freight car, because you picked up the phrases from the Thomas the Tank Engine TV show! One time, as you were playing with your trains again, I overheard you singing to yourself, “Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap…” I guess you DO listen to me, after all :)
You love to negotiate with Mommy & Daddy, also. We often try to give you a head’s up a few minutes before you need to take a bath or eat a meal, we’ll usually tell you, “Tyler, in 5 minutes we’re going to have dinner,” so that you know to stop playing. Well, you have begun to negotiate those times with us! “How about 10 minutes, Mommy?” Sometimes you even ask for ridiculous amounts of time: “Daddy, I’ll play for 40 minutes, then take a bath.” Nice try, buddy.

I am still amazed each time you talk to us and speak so clearly. I find myself talking to you as though you’re much older because you seem to understand abstract concepts so well. This morning, you asked me:
Are you done playing volleyball, Mommy? (I had 2 volleyball games last night and left while Daddy was putting you to bed).
ME: Yes, I’m done.
TYLER: Did you fall down?
ME: No, I didn’t.
TYLER: Good job, Mommy! Good job!

You can also follow directions easily. I can ask you to do several things in succession, and you remember and do them (for instance, you can put your toys away, wash your hands, and come to the dinner table, etc.). I even talked you through building a small LEGO boat as you read through the instructions. I only helped you follow the pictures on the instruction sheet, but you built the boat all on your own! I’m talking real LEGO pieces, not the Duplo or Megablocks stuff!

Tyler, your memory is remarkable. Often, I’m surprised at what you remember and how detailed your memory is. You know the names of all your Cars cars and all of the Thomas the Tank Engine trains that you own (which are dozens).

You love your little brother and, though he can’t quite interact with you yet, you still want to read books with him, show him toys, and take baths with him. You are very sweet and gentle with him. He lights up when he hears your voice and pays strict attention to you when you sing to him. I can’t wait until he can more visibly react to the things you do, and you’ll be able to interact with him!

We are in the throes of potty-training, something you took to very well and very easily. We went “cold turkey” on diapers 1 week before your 3rd birthday. You had a few accidents the first day, but have been pretty much accident-free at school, and have already learned to tell us when you need to use the bathroom (though you often whine and drag your feet when we ask you to use the potty).

You are a sweet and wonderful boy, and I’m so proud that you’re mine. I love hugging and smooching you. You give great hugs! During quiet times, usually before bed, you might tell me that you’ll miss me when you go to school the next day. I tell you that I’ll miss you too, but that I always look forward to seeing you at the end of the day when I pick you up and to any time that I get to spend with you.

I love you so much, and am looking forward to seeing how much more you grow this year!

Love and hugs and kisses,

Mommy