Mason's First: Cereal

"Well what do we have here?"

Spoon in hand, ready to go.

"Excuse me, but what did you just put into my mouth?!"

"Cereal, you say? Okay I'll give it another try."

He likes it!
Maybe a litte too much... cereal coma...

Saturday Smile

The downtown library hosts a Baby Lapsit time for birth through 18 months. Thanks to Jaime and Vincent, who told us about it, we go when we can. Mason loves to watch the other babies and listen to Mommy and Daddy sing the silly songs.

Our little reader-in-training says, "Support your local library!"

Two pink lines

Yesterday Mason and I ventured out to P-Town for lunch with Roseanne (who is a teacher and thoroughly enjoying her summer break) and a visit with Heather (who has no breaks this summer with 3 kids at home for the next 3 months.)

Rose and I had quite a bit of catching up to do and during the conversation the thought crossed my mind that it is simply amazing how much can change in a year. In the last year Roseanne, for instance, has moved home to the U.S. from China, gotten married, and will soon make another move across the country to Minnesota.

I got to thinking about all that has changed in my own life in the last year and it occurred to me that it was exactly one year ago yesterday, June 24th, that Tage and I found out we were pregnant. It was a Tuesday. We had recently vacationed in China, moved into our new house in Spokane, and the previous weekend had hosted a Summer Solstice Cocktail Party for our neighborhood to meet our new neighbors. Monday night I remember asking Tage, "Do you remember when I had my period last?" and him replying, "No, but I think it has been a while."

I had taken pregnancy tests before. Lots of them. Because I'm paranoid. Tuesday morning I grabbed a test and brushed my teeth while waiting for the results, expecting one pink line like all the others. Imagine my surprise when there were two. TWO pink lines. Clear as day. I remembered Heather telling me that when she took the test that told her she was pregnant with Camden that it was bright pink instantly. Two pink lines.

With what must have been six thousand butterflies in my stomach I finished getting ready for work, got in the car, and immediately called Heidi.

Me: "Hi."

Heidi: "Hi."

(Then let Heidi talk for a few minutes.)

Me: "Um, so I took a pregnancy test this morning and it was positive."

Heidi: "Oh my God!"

Me: "What am I supposed to do now???"

I went to work and told my assistant manager, Suzy, that I had an appointment at 11am and needed to take my lunch early. Off to the clinic I went, to confirm.

Sure enough. We were actually pregnant.

The appointment took nearly two hours because I waited there for the results. I wasn't about to go anywhere without knowing for SURE that this was really happening. When I got back I knew I had to tell Suzy. She then immediately left for her lunch break and returned with the book What to Expect When You're Expecting. It was even wrapped in tissue and in a gift bag.

This was really happening.

Then I had to figure out how to tell Tage.

That evening when I got home I walked into the office and we went through our regular "tell me about your day" conversation and I can't remember exactly what had happened that day for him but I do remember that he (for once) had a lot to say.

Then it was my turn.

I told him about work that day and I let him know I had a surprise for him. He loves surprises, especially when they involve chocolate. Little did he know how big and life changing this surprise would be.

I handed him a tissue-wrapped package. He could tell it was a book, which he also loves. We were standing in the office about 3 feet apart from each other when he opened it up. He looked up at me, a great big smile on his face, and with his eyes wide asked, "Are we expecting?!"

There were already tears in my eyes (as there are now as I recall that moment) and I nodded yes. The next thing I knew I was in his arms and crying and he was laughing.

We sat down right then and poured through the first chapter of that book together.

One year ago we were serving cocktails to the neighbors.

Now we are the oh-so-proud parents of the best 5 month old on the planet.

It is simply amazing how much can change in a year.

Back to our adventure yesterday, Mason was such a trooper. Only one melt down on the way home from missing his afternoon nap and only getting about a half hour cat nap (shown above) with his tongue sticking out.
I've raved about Heather's talents before. She never ceases to amaze me. Remember the ADORABLE clover onesie she made? It has a cousin. This stinking cute owl Mason is modeling. (He is doing his best to imitate the owl.)
AND the owl on the onesie has a friend! He is happily perched on Mason's arm. I had every intention of using this tutorial from Joy's Hope to make one of these guys but Heather beat me to it. Good thing too, because hers is WAY cuter than mine would have been. She even included bells inside. Heather's craftiness is borderline disgusting, but I only say that out of jealousy.

Baby Bench Press

I am so in love with this picture of Mason. He has the best facial expressions! Our little Peanut is now strong enough now to do this with...

I actually get giggles out of him when he's up in the air! While I'm still working on getting my body back (and by "working on" I mean "not doing anything") I have to say I appreciated this post on Mama Manifesto last week.

It's not difficult to keep up with a workout routine involving these Mason bench press repetitions though. As long as he doesn't mind all the incessant kissing when I lower him down.

Happy Fathers Day

Stay in and vote

If you haven't already checked it out, click on over to A Woman In Her Thirties. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll anxiously await L. Shanna's next post. The best part is you don't have to be a woman, or in your thirties, to appreciate the life experience she has to share.

I am fortunate enough to have the author of this blog in my life (in fact, she just edited the copy for my Pear Tree Events website) and I can tell you that she is even more beautiful in person than she is on computer.

After you fall in love with AWIHT, vote for her here.

Asleep in the car

I think I've mentioned before that my son refuses to take naps while I'm home with him. Yesterday was no exception. He did take a pretty good morning nap, but was awake the rest of the day. So when we got in the car to head to my dad and Deanna's for dinner, you guessed it, he was passed out by the time we hit our first stop light.

Cute, right? This picture is a bit deceptive though. It would appear that he is crashed out with his head to the side, holding onto a toy-- in reality, his head is slumped forward in his car seat and the toy he is grasping is hanging from the handle above him. Tage compared him to a drunk person holding onto something to keep them up.

Who am I to judge? I've always been a fan of sleeping in the car too.

Dear Opportunistic Thief,

Let me start by saying it is completely my fault for A) leaving my car unlocked over night (even though it was in my driveway) and B) forgetting to bring my bag in the house. I was in a hurry to see my kiddo after another long day at work and thought for sure I would remember to retrieve my bag after he had gone to bed.

Secondly, thank you for leaving the change in the center console (I use it for Reese's Pieces from the candy machine at work.) Since this was the only item of any value in the car and you chose to leave it, I wanted to make sure you take full advantage of the items you did take. Please enjoy the Calvin Klein tote-- it was free with a fragrance purchase from Macy's but your vagrant friends won't know the difference, unless their cardboard boxes are lined with the Macy's circular from Winter '08.

The faux leather notebook should come in handy with all those sheets of blank notebook paper. Disregard the "Palmer/Knifton" wedding notes you'll find on the first few pages, unless you'd like some tips on planning your next Tent City social event (and in that case feel free to hand out a few of my Pear Tree Events business cards, also included.) Speaking of Pear Tree, if you wouldn't mind publishing my fictitious business name for me I would greatly appreciate it, since you have the only stamped copy, as well as the one for Flowers with Function.

I would imagine you're not used to seeing Tums bottles with actual Tums left in them, so enjoy the fruit-flavored variety, I think there was at least half a bottle left. Oh, and as for the 2005 Chevy Malibu owners manual... well, I don't know what to say about that. Maybe it will make efficient fuel for your campfire.

Thank you for leaving my "T" notepad and Recreation Lakes of California book, oh and everything in the trunk. Most of all, thank you for the reminder that my neighborhood isn't the neighborhood I grew up in (nor am I living in the same era.) Yet another lesson learned the hard way. As we like to say in our household, "Less is more." I now have one less bag of "stuff" to lug around with me.

Sincerely,
The Dummy Who Left Her Car Unlocked

P.S. If you get a chance, please mail a check for $10 to the City of Spokane for the remainder of my speeding ticket (the invoice is in the faux leather notebook.)

Pear Tree Events

Pear Tree Events featured on Spearmint Baby! Check it out and leave some comments about how fantastic we are. :)

Crinkle Squares

When I came across this post from Joy's Hope I knew what my next free-half-hour project was going to be. I love when I find a recipe or an activity that I already have the supplies for. Yesterday being my day off this week, I whipped up these fun little Baby Crinkle Squares in just a few minutes out of fabric and ribbon scraps left over from the lavender sachets and Mason's Mother's Day onesie.
Mason likes that he can grab onto the ribbons and fling the square around in the air but he is not sure about the actual crinkle sound. I'm hoping Kim reads this post after the FedEx truck makes its stop at her door so Ella's will be a surprise. I hope she likes her new toy. It may be inexpensive and simple, but it was handmade with love just for her.

(Tage, if you're wondering why there is an unpopped bag of popcorn in the drawer missing its cellophane wrapper, now you know.)

He may not crawl yet...

...but Mason is definitely mobile. I swear to you that this is how I lay him down for bed at night:

In the MIDDLE of his crib.

And yet, somehow, this is how I find him the next morning:

That is his arm hanging out there.

Between the crib bars.

Shoved out beneath the crib bumper.

Every. Single. Time.

I thought maybe I should be concerned that his arm is going to fall off or something, but he doesn't seem to mind it.

Want to be a better parent?

Work retail. Better yet, work retail in a middle class neighborhood. There isn't a single shift I work that I don't walk away with at least once having said, "I do not want to be that mom." Whether it is a mom who barks at her teenager for walking too slowly in front of her and "being in her way" or the mother who shouts in an irritated voice at her toddler who just wants her attention at the check out counter, there are constant examples of our societies lack of patience and tolerance for our children.

It breaks my heart to see an elementary-aged child swearing at a store employee simply because he is accustomed to hearing vulgar language at home and thinks it's normal. And don't even get me started on the mom who is a regular shoplifter and uses her child's stroller to smuggle clothes for herself out of the store. Did I mention the baby, who is barely old enough to walk, is right along side of her?

There is so much to be thankful for in life. I am thankful for our families who help out each week in caring for Mason. I am so thankful that both Tage and I have jobs and a place to live. I am ever so thankful that each day is a new opportunity to be a better mother to Mason.

Who would have thought working a side job could have such great benefits? I mean, besides the obvious benefit that allowed me to pick up this polo for Tage for 73 cents. (No kidding!)

Saturday Smile

"Hi Mom!"
"Wait a second..."
"What's this?"

"I look good!"

Baby push ups

On Tuesday during Mason's 4 month check up I had asked the doctor if I should be concerned that, while he can hold his head up and look around while laying on his belly, he doesn't use his arms to help prop himself up. They lay by his sides so he looks much like a beached whale. Of course she assured me he was doing fine.

Last night Mase didn't feel like going to bed right away so he lay awake in his crib, checking out the dots on his sheets. I peeked in to check on him and discovered that he could see me over the crib bumper. His little arms were extended in front of him and he was loving that fact that he could see so much more.

I ran downstairs to get Tage so he could see the progress our Peanut had made. Tage's comment? "This is the beginning of the end."

I think it's the beginning of great things for our Baby Valone.

So. Much. Stuff.

These are the things I leave the house with each morning:

• Mason in his car seat, remembering to throw a pacifier, bib, burp cloth and receiving blanket in there with him.
• Purse, making sure my cell phone, car keys, and work keys are in there.
• Work bag, including my lunch, bills that need to be paid, mail that has to go out, and my To-Do list(s).
• Diaper bag, ensuring it is complete with clean diapers, a plastic bag for the dirty ones, milk (premeasured per feeding), two extra sets of clothing, an extra bib, burp cloth and pacifier, book, DVD, notebook, extra receiving blanket, emergency formula (premeasured in a bottle), sunblock, lotion, baby wipes and hand sanitizer.
• Breast pump. (Thank you for reminding me Suzy!) Accompanied by all the pieces (and back ups, just in case) and a few storage containers.
• Green tea. A big giant travel cup full of it.

Whew.

How in the WORLD do people do this with more than one child?

Before and After: Birthdays

Before: Weekend in Tahoe with the girls!
After: Week night pizza at home with the family.

Before: My wish list includes new Joe's, Clinique make up, a great pair of shoes...
After: My wish list includes time off with Mason and Tage. Period.

Before: At least a month before, making plans for the entire birthday week.
After: Not even realizing I have a birthday coming up until June 1st.

Before: Identifying with my age (early-20's, mid-20's, late-mid-20's...)
After: Identifying more with my status: Mom

Before: Cheesecake!
After: Cheesecake! (Okay that hasn't changed, my birthdays will ALWAYS mean cheesecake. :)

4 Months

Somehow Mason is 4 months old already. He is strong enough to hold his head up and is enjoying the Jump-A-Roo passed down to him from his Auntie Jaime. I put a pillow beneath his feet though, because he can just barely reach the floor.

I tried uploading a video of Mason at the doctor's office this morning but it won't work for whatever reason. He thought that paper he was laying on was the greatest thing EVER. He discovered that the harder and faster he kicked, the more noise the paper made. By the time the pediatrician found her way to our room he had torn the paper to shreds beneath his feet.

Our little guy weighed in at 15.12 pounds which put him in the 65th percentile for his weight, and measured 26 inches which is in the 80th percentile for a 4-month old. That is an enormous jump from the 10th and 65th percentiles he was in just two months ago during his two month check up.

Mason is at the point where he is putting everything in his mouth, including his thumb (which he prefers over the pacifier.) He can grasp objects now and hold his head up while on his tummy for several minutes at a time. Each morning he watches a few minutes of a My Baby Can Talk DVD and finds it highly entertaining. When Tage comes home in the evenings Mason loves to babble on to him about his day, which is oh-so-cute. I'm sure my little peanut will be talking and walking in no time.