Keeping Up

Running, talking, singing.

Climbing, playing, throwing.

Learning, jumping, laughing.

Hugging, kissing, loving.

Asking, growing, exploring. Sleeping.

One whole year and a half.

Life couldn't get better.

New Beginnings

New beginnings make me happy. But, today I am sad for a New Beginning's end.
I look forward to next school year and all the changes it will bring, but, now... today... I will let myself feel sad for the all the faces I will miss!

Poop

I just asked Mason if he needed a new diaper. He climbed in my lap, looked at me and said "poop". I didn"t even know he could say that word. Let alone in the proper context. And he was right, he did have a poopy diaper.


My little dude is growing up!

Diapers anyone?

Yesterday we took a short trip to Ocala to visit my brother and his family. I can NOT believe it, but the both times we stopped on the way for a needed diaper change there was no changing table thing in the bathrooms! What is going on around here? In the past year, I have never gone into a bathroom to find the floor my only option for a diaper change! I mean these places didn't even have a counter I could have used instead. What is the world coming too? A tip I learned yesterday that will be useful for our upcoming road trip to Maine: towel on the back seat.
I mean, most diaper changes are easy, clean and can be done anywhere. But, there are a few that could become a mess if you know what I mean. Especially since Lil Dude has now made a habit of rolling all over the place trying to escape the changing process. I am a pretty good rolling-all-over- preventor, but, you know, nobody's perfect.
ANYWAY, I just still cannot believe that two public, franchised, frequented places of business lacked the appropriate diaper changing station. What's the world coming to?

March Madness

So much to catch up on… I don’t know where to begin. Maybe I'll just fill in a few details.
Mason started walking in February. See...

Now he’s practically running. He still falls down a lot though. In the last few weeks he’s become a dancing machine! If there’s music playing you can betcha he’s feelin’ the beat. He likes to stomp his feet which is the absolute funniest thing to Pete and I. We think he looks like he’s trying to Irish dance. Its so funny. He’s really into songs with hand movements this week. He learned to roll his arms during the wheels on the bus song and does it for just about every song he hears now. Then he laughs. Its as though he knows it’s the wrong song, but is making a joke or something. We love it! Just yesterday he started clapping his hands. Its so different watching your own child develop. I’ve seen tons of kids learn all of these new motor skills, but for some reason its more exciting when you see your own kid learn. I don’t really know why other than maybe I’m not expecting it out of him. Its kinda like the other day when I was in the kitchen and he was walking around me. Then… boom… he’s marching around the kitchen for the first time and I’m left thinking, "who the heck taught him to stomp his feet?! He JUST learned to walk with out falling every second. Now he can MARCH too?!"

Pete and I took Lil Dude to the county fair to see the animals. Mason LOVED it. He cracked us up because he kept saying "kitty!" every time he saw an animal.



Of course he had his first birthday in March too. We celebrated with just Pete and I on his actual birthday. Then we celebrated with family and friends with a baseball birthday party later in the week. It was a fantastic time.
Here's a picture of the Lil Dude eating his strawberry shortcake on 3/25, his actual birthday.

YUM!

He loves strawberries...

... not so much the cake.

And here he is eating his baseball birthday cake at his party on 3/28.

These pictures were taken right before he smeared some all over his face and started crying. After that he was done with the cake, but I was satisfied with his first bday cake experience. I don't like frosting all over my face either so I don't blame him for getting upset.

I'll end with a few extra pictures from Feb and March.

Where did the time go?

On this day one year ago today I was sitting in a hospital bed having labor pains waiting for an epidural. Its crazy to think about all that happened the week my Lil Dude was born. I remember the strong feelings I had to treasure every single second. I barely took my eyes off the dude for the first 3 months. I didn't want to miss anything. Now I've watched him for a year. He has grown and learned so much in such a short amount of time. I can't believe tomorrow at 10:24 am I'll officially have a one year old! Mason, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Little Buddy! Where did the time go?

Always Learning

As I close in on my one year mark as being a parent (coming up in March!) to a healthy little (by little I really mean very big) baby boy, I have been reflecting on what I've learned this year. I've decided to write a few things down.

Sleep is a luxury. I didn't figure this one out until several months into parenthood. I was lucky those early months. Now is a different story... a way different story. I'll save that for another post.

Toys and clothes are not important. I would have imagined in my pre-parenthood mind that buying all the latest toys and the cutest clothes would be high on my list. Boy was I wrong. Babies hardly care about toys. Tonight Mason spent 30 minutes climbing on top of a diaper box while wearing hand-me down pajamas. I've come to realize FREE clothes and unintentional toys are the best kind.

Children require a LOT of parenting to be well behaved. I'm pretty sure that I had imagined my child being extremely well behaved naturally. I mean, c'mon, I spend 40 hours a week working on behavior problems in other people's children. I never really considered the fact that I'd have to remain 2 cm in proximity from my child while he plays with other babies to ensure that he does not pull someone's hair or throw toys at them. I also didn't think I'd ever have little tiny teeth imprints on my arm from my child. Go figure

Recently a friend told me that parenthood is a crazy, wonderful experience. I think she is very right. This kid keeps me on my toes!