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.