Mason thinks your food is his food. Every time we eat he will stare you
down with his puppy dog, "I am starving" eyes. He gets bites of some
stuff like mashed potatoes but most often he gets his feelings hurt when
we do not share. This time he lucked out with a popsicle. He made a
mess but he enjoyed it.
We are trying to expand Mason's vocabulary. Unfortunately, he is fine just the way it it.
This morning Mason ate his Wheaties and was in a really good mood. Every
time I asked him a question he would respond with laughter. One day he
will answer me back. I am excited for that day and dreading it at the
same time.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Inchworm!
We have an inchworm! A little bit of a crawl, a little bit of a scoot.
Of course, he will only inch towards things he is NOT suppose to have.
"Come see Mommy", "Want your toy", or "Bottle" doesn't work. Diapers,
bibs, and burp cloths nicely put in their place, must have!
Guard dog
Not sure what she sees or hears, but this is the second time she has came in Mason's room while I was rocking him and sat facing the door. Both times it was night time and I was home alone. Talk about freaky! Sends shivers down my back.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Mason's 1st Thanksgiving
Well, I guess the one thing I can day about Mason's 1st Thanksgiving is that it came and went fast! We didnt do anything special or make a big fuss about it. Doug was working long hours so we slept in and enjoyed as much of the morning in bed as Mason would allow us. We got up around 8, had Wawa for breakfast, then watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Mason watched a bit but was more interested in playing with his toys or using me as a jungle gym. Around 10 he went down for a nap. I had Doug bring in the trees and some of the decorations from the shed. I figured while Mason napped I could at least get the two trees up. WRONG! The main tree is missing a leg. We have 3 out of 4 but that is just not enough to get her up. So I spent the morning digging all over the house for the 4th leg. I finally gave up and ordered a replacement on Amazon. I really hope it fits. I would hate to buy a brand new tree over 1 stupid leg! Plus I really like our tree. It was cheap, full, and just the right size. Amazon says I should have the replacement next week so hopefully I will get the tree up by next weekend.
Watching the parade
Last year I bought a second tree to go in front of Mason's bedroom window. As soon as I put it up and plugged it in he was overwhelmed with the "I have to touch it" bug. I am thankful he can't crawl yet but I am not sure how much longer that will last.
For lunch, we decided to pick up food at Boston Market. Doug had to work at 3 and it was just us so there was no point in making a big meal. He went to go get it and came home an hour and a half later. Best part, no gravy! Who would want turkey, stuffing (I prefer dressing but am becoming fond of stuffing. Don't hate me too much. I still say yall!), and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving without gravy?!? So we had a frozen pizza as we got ready. When Doug headed off to work, I broke out the Black Friday ads. My plan was Walmart and Kohls Thursday night and ToysRUs and Target Friday. Well my plan didn't go as... planned.
Playing while Mommy shopped
It's crazy that a year ago I bought Mason's first clothes from Carter's on Black Friday. I continued the tradition again this year, taking advantage of their 60% off everything, doorbusters, and free shipping.
When Mason and I left the house it was dinner time so I figured I would eat at Bob Evans for a nice, "home cooked" meal. They were not busy at all but it took me almost 2 hours to eat and leave. They had 1 server, 1 cook, a hostes, and a manager. That was it! I waited half an hour for a table with only 5-10 tables currently occupied. I didn't mind waiting and the manager told ever person that was seated that he preferred for his employees to be at home with their families instead of there working. It was nice to hear but the wait was awful. To pass the time, me and this older gentleman chatted. He was by himself as his kids and grandkids didn't live in Maryland anymore. I told him he was crazy to stay in Maryland when one son lived in Georgia and another lived in California. He was very nice and I am glad Mason and I were there to keep him company as we waited on our table and food.
Mason's "My First Turkey Day" outfit
Eating dinner at Bob Evans
After dinner I decided to go to Target right across the street rather than drive across town to Walmart and Kohls. It was almost Mason's bedtime so I didn't want to stay out too much later. The only thing I had to get was gravy for our Thanksgiving meal in the fridge. The rest of the time we walked around and enjoyed the holiday atmosphere. It was not crowded so we moved through the store easily. I got him a few things and myself some leggings since they were on sale. The rest was formula and bathroom essentials. I really took advantage of the sales... ha!
Hanging out in the shopping cart at Target
Passed out in the car when we got home.
Friday Doug and I got up and headed to ToysRUs. I had once last gift card from the baby showers and I was holding onto it for Santa presents. Everything I wanted wasn't on sale anywhere. It was a disappointing sale day for me. But we still got some of my must have toys. After that we went to fuel up at Buffalo Wild Wings then to Dicks to take advantage of the sale on Under Armour. After that, we were ready for a nap! So we came home and did just that. Tonight we will watch football and finally eat our Thanksgiving dinner.
We are looking forward to this magical season with our little man. Stay tuned for the fun adventures we get into!
Watching the parade
Last year I bought a second tree to go in front of Mason's bedroom window. As soon as I put it up and plugged it in he was overwhelmed with the "I have to touch it" bug. I am thankful he can't crawl yet but I am not sure how much longer that will last.
For lunch, we decided to pick up food at Boston Market. Doug had to work at 3 and it was just us so there was no point in making a big meal. He went to go get it and came home an hour and a half later. Best part, no gravy! Who would want turkey, stuffing (I prefer dressing but am becoming fond of stuffing. Don't hate me too much. I still say yall!), and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving without gravy?!? So we had a frozen pizza as we got ready. When Doug headed off to work, I broke out the Black Friday ads. My plan was Walmart and Kohls Thursday night and ToysRUs and Target Friday. Well my plan didn't go as... planned.
Playing while Mommy shopped
It's crazy that a year ago I bought Mason's first clothes from Carter's on Black Friday. I continued the tradition again this year, taking advantage of their 60% off everything, doorbusters, and free shipping.
When Mason and I left the house it was dinner time so I figured I would eat at Bob Evans for a nice, "home cooked" meal. They were not busy at all but it took me almost 2 hours to eat and leave. They had 1 server, 1 cook, a hostes, and a manager. That was it! I waited half an hour for a table with only 5-10 tables currently occupied. I didn't mind waiting and the manager told ever person that was seated that he preferred for his employees to be at home with their families instead of there working. It was nice to hear but the wait was awful. To pass the time, me and this older gentleman chatted. He was by himself as his kids and grandkids didn't live in Maryland anymore. I told him he was crazy to stay in Maryland when one son lived in Georgia and another lived in California. He was very nice and I am glad Mason and I were there to keep him company as we waited on our table and food.
Mason's "My First Turkey Day" outfit
Eating dinner at Bob Evans
He gave me a mean look. Apparently he couldn't be bothered to take a selfie.
After dinner I decided to go to Target right across the street rather than drive across town to Walmart and Kohls. It was almost Mason's bedtime so I didn't want to stay out too much later. The only thing I had to get was gravy for our Thanksgiving meal in the fridge. The rest of the time we walked around and enjoyed the holiday atmosphere. It was not crowded so we moved through the store easily. I got him a few things and myself some leggings since they were on sale. The rest was formula and bathroom essentials. I really took advantage of the sales... ha!
Hanging out in the shopping cart at Target
Passed out in the car when we got home.
Friday Doug and I got up and headed to ToysRUs. I had once last gift card from the baby showers and I was holding onto it for Santa presents. Everything I wanted wasn't on sale anywhere. It was a disappointing sale day for me. But we still got some of my must have toys. After that we went to fuel up at Buffalo Wild Wings then to Dicks to take advantage of the sale on Under Armour. After that, we were ready for a nap! So we came home and did just that. Tonight we will watch football and finally eat our Thanksgiving dinner.
We are looking forward to this magical season with our little man. Stay tuned for the fun adventures we get into!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Ma, where's mine?
When your child understands for the first time that you are eating and he is not... the stare down!
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Mason's Christmas List
Black Friday is a bit over a week away. Do you know what your are getting the cutest kid in the world for his very first Christmas? If not, don't worry. Mom is here to help. I have registered for gifts at Wal-Mart and Amazon. If you chose Wal-Mart, select in store pick up at Bowie, MD (if available). That will help you save on shipping! We will pick it up, wrap it, and put it under the tree for Mason to open Christmas morning.
Top gifts off the registries are:
ANYTHING AUBURN!
Highchair
Pack-n-play
Training/Sippy cups
Wagon/Buggy
VTech Alphabet Train
Activity Table
If nothing on the list or in the stores catches your eye, Mason will gladly accept:
gift card to Wal-Mart, Target, or Toys-R-Us
diapers (size 2 or 3, Pampers)
wipes (Pampers sensitive)
bottles (Phillips Avent or Dr. Brown's; sippy cups)
clothes (winter - size 9 to 12 months & 18 to 24 months; summer - 12 to 18 months)
or other everyday essentials
We hate we are not able to be home for Mason's first Christmas. I promise I will take loads of videos and pictures to share. Heck, if you can't stand the thought of not seeing him you are more than welcome to come and visit! The babysitter... I mean guest room is right next to his room. It will make the 5 am feeding very convenient for you. :)
Top gifts off the registries are:
ANYTHING AUBURN!
Highchair
Pack-n-play
Training/Sippy cups
Wagon/Buggy
VTech Alphabet Train
Activity Table
If nothing on the list or in the stores catches your eye, Mason will gladly accept:
gift card to Wal-Mart, Target, or Toys-R-Us
diapers (size 2 or 3, Pampers)
wipes (Pampers sensitive)
bottles (Phillips Avent or Dr. Brown's; sippy cups)
clothes (winter - size 9 to 12 months & 18 to 24 months; summer - 12 to 18 months)
or other everyday essentials
We hate we are not able to be home for Mason's first Christmas. I promise I will take loads of videos and pictures to share. Heck, if you can't stand the thought of not seeing him you are more than welcome to come and visit! The babysitter... I mean guest room is right next to his room. It will make the 5 am feeding very convenient for you. :)
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Christmas card sneak peek!
Photo credit - Anna Schmidt Photography
It was a long 30 min session and we thank Anna, who was sicker than us, for hanging in there with us. I was pissy, the Navy game left no parking in downtown Annapolis, there were people everywhere taking Auburn's attention, and Mason was not being all smiles. But I think Anna was able to get a few shots of us all behaving. :)
Side note - Auburn literally had a fan club. This group of young adults were petting her and taking pictures with her. She ate it up! We considered it free baby sitting while we took pictures. Ha!
It was a long 30 min session and we thank Anna, who was sicker than us, for hanging in there with us. I was pissy, the Navy game left no parking in downtown Annapolis, there were people everywhere taking Auburn's attention, and Mason was not being all smiles. But I think Anna was able to get a few shots of us all behaving. :)
Side note - Auburn literally had a fan club. This group of young adults were petting her and taking pictures with her. She ate it up! We considered it free baby sitting while we took pictures. Ha!
Light the Night!
Mason, Doug, and I had so much fun last night participating in the Light the Night walk in downtown Baltimore. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who came out in the old to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). People with red lanterns (the majority) were there to support those with the cancer; yellow lanterns were for those walking in memory of someone; white lanterns were survivors and those living with it. It was great walking alongside all of these people. My lantern was yellow and I held it proudly. I know it is not much but I hope we helped make a difference. I know my aunt and grandmother were so proud of us. I really hope we get to do this again in the years to come.
Mason did amazing. He didn't cry the entire evening and chilled out while we listened to music and walked. He loved the attention he received from my coworkers who walked with us. I enjoyed the city at night. We had great views of the Inner Harbor and the downtown skyline. It was a cool but calm night which made for a nice walk through the city. I think Mason's favorite part was the fireworks. He watched them in amazement. He didn't even flinch from the booms. I think he has definitely got my love of fireworks!
Mason did amazing. He didn't cry the entire evening and chilled out while we listened to music and walked. He loved the attention he received from my coworkers who walked with us. I enjoyed the city at night. We had great views of the Inner Harbor and the downtown skyline. It was a cool but calm night which made for a nice walk through the city. I think Mason's favorite part was the fireworks. He watched them in amazement. He didn't even flinch from the booms. I think he has definitely got my love of fireworks!
Mason's Playground
Mason's playground... Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it. Well, maybe we can make that happen with your help. Mason's daycare is doing a fundraiser for new playground equipment. Please help Mason get some nice, new equipment to play on by purchasing at least one item from Claire's Gourmet. There are 3 different categories to choose from: Elegant Desserts, Pizza & More, and Treats & Sweets. Just in time for Christmas! And it all looks sooo yummy!
Enter Participant Code: 036415 to ensure he gets credit for the purchase.
Mason thanks you in advance for your help!
https://www.clairesgourmet.com/store/categories/
Enter Participant Code: 036415 to ensure he gets credit for the purchase.
Mason thanks you in advance for your help!
https://www.clairesgourmet.com/store/categories/
Sunday, November 1, 2015
1st Halloween
Oh Halloween. I know Mason has no clue on what Halloween is or means but I still wanted to make this memory with him. And oh what a memory we made. By the end of the night I hurt and was in need of whisky. I had high expectations and too many plans. I set myself up for failure. But we did have fun despite all the crazyness.
We let Mason take a long nap around 4 so he would be happy and ready to go trick-or-treating. I also wanted to give him a small bottle since his next feeding was suppose to be during the peak trick-or-treating time. He woke up happy and ready to play; however, a fight broke out when we gave him his bottle. Since introducing baby food Mason has not been the biggest fan of the bottle. He use to down 6 ounces in minutes. Now we fight to get 2 or 3 in him. He was getting better but this time he didn't even take an ounce. Half an hour later we got 2.5 in him and admitted defeat. He was fussy and over us and the bottle.
We got on his costume (technically his third) and went outside to take pictures of our little Batman. Of course, he was not happy with his black outfit so he tried to change it to white... using his spit up. Hand to forehead! So we had a stinky, stained, and fussy Batman this year. I know all the neighbors were thrilled to smell/see him. We would literally be saying "Trick-or-Treat" and he would give us a big ole' yucky treat all down the front of his costume. I think we went through 4 or 5 burp cloths in less than half an hour.
We took a quick trip around the block and then headed back home to hand out candy. Mason smiled a few times but pretty much just sat in my arms and took everything in. Hopefully next year he will get more joy out of it. At first we got a few kids stopping by but it slowly slipped to none. It was dark out and our street was pitch black. We were the only house on our little strip that had a light on so EVERYONE was skipping right past our street. I went to the end of the street and saw tons of kids going up and down the other streets. I went back to grab the candy and took Mason down to the corner to hand out the rest of our candy. I was literally having to yell at people that I had candy and to please come see us. I was not in costume, had a baby, and had a bowl full of candy. Seriously, why was it that hard???
We invited Ryan and Shannon to come over and join in the festivities with us. I planned on making some buffalo chicken dip and then grilling out for dinner. Well, I prepped the dip early so as we were getting ready to head out I popped the dip in the oven to cook. It was done by the time we left so I turned the oven off and left it in there to keep it warm. With all the craziness of trying to get Mason fed, ready, and out trick-or-treating then the fun we were having giving out our candy, I totally forgot about dinner. I forgot to marinate the meat and I forgot to cook the potatoes. Thankfully Ryan and Shannon are nice and understanding. I was able to scrounge up some baked beans and frozen veggies for sides. It wasn't quite enough for 4 people but we made it work. We finally got to eat our bland hamburgers and scrap sides around 8:30 or so. At this point I was done. My arms hurt from holding Mason all night, my head hurt from trying to keep dinner and trick-or-treating together, and my stress level was through the roof. It was ok, though. I always keep a bottle of Jack in the freezer for moments like this. :)
So lessons learned for next year:
1. Order pizza for dinner
2. Put up lights or play music so people will come by and get our free candy
3. If lights and music work, we are going to need a LOT MORE candy (insert "We are going to need a bigger boat" kind of a feeling. Our neighborhood has TONS of kids!)
4. Use a stroller
5. Buy a spare costume
6. Have ZERO expectations!
We let Mason take a long nap around 4 so he would be happy and ready to go trick-or-treating. I also wanted to give him a small bottle since his next feeding was suppose to be during the peak trick-or-treating time. He woke up happy and ready to play; however, a fight broke out when we gave him his bottle. Since introducing baby food Mason has not been the biggest fan of the bottle. He use to down 6 ounces in minutes. Now we fight to get 2 or 3 in him. He was getting better but this time he didn't even take an ounce. Half an hour later we got 2.5 in him and admitted defeat. He was fussy and over us and the bottle.
We got on his costume (technically his third) and went outside to take pictures of our little Batman. Of course, he was not happy with his black outfit so he tried to change it to white... using his spit up. Hand to forehead! So we had a stinky, stained, and fussy Batman this year. I know all the neighbors were thrilled to smell/see him. We would literally be saying "Trick-or-Treat" and he would give us a big ole' yucky treat all down the front of his costume. I think we went through 4 or 5 burp cloths in less than half an hour.
We took a quick trip around the block and then headed back home to hand out candy. Mason smiled a few times but pretty much just sat in my arms and took everything in. Hopefully next year he will get more joy out of it. At first we got a few kids stopping by but it slowly slipped to none. It was dark out and our street was pitch black. We were the only house on our little strip that had a light on so EVERYONE was skipping right past our street. I went to the end of the street and saw tons of kids going up and down the other streets. I went back to grab the candy and took Mason down to the corner to hand out the rest of our candy. I was literally having to yell at people that I had candy and to please come see us. I was not in costume, had a baby, and had a bowl full of candy. Seriously, why was it that hard???
We invited Ryan and Shannon to come over and join in the festivities with us. I planned on making some buffalo chicken dip and then grilling out for dinner. Well, I prepped the dip early so as we were getting ready to head out I popped the dip in the oven to cook. It was done by the time we left so I turned the oven off and left it in there to keep it warm. With all the craziness of trying to get Mason fed, ready, and out trick-or-treating then the fun we were having giving out our candy, I totally forgot about dinner. I forgot to marinate the meat and I forgot to cook the potatoes. Thankfully Ryan and Shannon are nice and understanding. I was able to scrounge up some baked beans and frozen veggies for sides. It wasn't quite enough for 4 people but we made it work. We finally got to eat our bland hamburgers and scrap sides around 8:30 or so. At this point I was done. My arms hurt from holding Mason all night, my head hurt from trying to keep dinner and trick-or-treating together, and my stress level was through the roof. It was ok, though. I always keep a bottle of Jack in the freezer for moments like this. :)
So lessons learned for next year:
1. Order pizza for dinner
2. Put up lights or play music so people will come by and get our free candy
3. If lights and music work, we are going to need a LOT MORE candy (insert "We are going to need a bigger boat" kind of a feeling. Our neighborhood has TONS of kids!)
4. Use a stroller
5. Buy a spare costume
6. Have ZERO expectations!
Costume #1 - wore to daycare on Friday
Costume #2 - wore during the "game"
Costume #3 - cutest Batman we saw all night
Practicing our "Trick-or-Treat!"
A neighbor did a great job decorating their house, so we used it as a backdrop for our picture :)
Family Trick-or-Treating selfie
Another house with good decorations
Daddy giving Mommy's arm a break
Handing out candy... he was filled with excitement...
Ryan and Shannon helping hand out candy
Peek-a-boo
Mason's new favorite game is peek-a-boo. He picked up on it very quickly and loves to snatch the blanket off his and my head. Using your hands works ok but he really likes getting to grab the blanket. And of course, that smile and laugh is worth hours and hours of saying nothing but, "Where is Mason?"
Sorry for the sideways video
Sorry for the sideways video
Standing up!
Mason has been trying very hard to stand up on his own. He is still a little wobbly and is working on keeping his knees locked but he is slowly getting closer to standing all on his own. Here is a little clip of him using the side of the crib to help steady himself. It will not be much longer until he is pulling himself up and crawling out of there!
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