Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Streak-Busting Onesie

Mason,

Last month, I introduced you to the joys and sorrows of being a Tennessee sports fan. Sad to say, we've had quite a bit of the latter and not so much of the former since then.

I also told you about the gameday uniform your Grandmom and Grandad brought with them when they visited from Tennessee. You've worn it faithfully for a few of the games, but you were not dressed in it last week when the Vols squeaked past the Commodores.

So today seemed like a great opportunity to get the onesie its first win. Tennessee played Kentucky. The last time Kentucky beat Tennessee in football, I was eight years old and Ronald Reagan had just won 49 states.

Hmmm. Well, on the bright side, you'll have outgrown the onesie by September, and we can try something else. And in the meantime, here's to hoping you're writing messages to your own child the next time Kentucky beats Tennessee.

Love,
Daddy

first tree

Mason,

Thank goodness we got the tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving because we didn't finish setting up and decorating it until Saturday night. Before you arrived, Daddy and I could select, transport, and decorate the tree in a couple hours tops. Even simple tasks take so much longer with you around!

We gave you three early Christmas gifts this year: two ornaments and a stocking. One ornament arrived the day we bought the tree, so we gave you the honor of placing it on the tree before the others. Your first ornament got the front and center position.


Daddy and I got new stockings, too.


You seemed to like the lights when we held you close to the tree.



Overall, Daddy and I are quite pleased with how the tree turned out this year.


But we're far more thankful for the gift beside it.


I love you!

Mommy

Friday, November 25, 2011

tree shopping

Mason,

One highlight of the Christmas season is selecting and enjoying our fresh Christmas tree. No fake trees are allowed in our house! We buy our tree each year from the same farmer at Eastern Market.


When we arrived, the tree farmer, who remembers Daddy and me from previous years, came over to say hello and congratulate us on your arrival. He said, "How old is he? Four months?" He was surprised when we told him you were only two months old.


You do look quite mature for your age.

We also bought a fresh wreath for our front door.


Despite your calm appearance in these pictures, you were quite fussy on this excursion. You're just not a shopper, are you? We'll keep working on it!

Hugs and kisses,

Mommy

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanksgiving

Mason,

Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrated your first Thanksgiving with Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie. Here are some photo highlights from the day.








Daddy and I are thankful for you, sweet Mason! Lord willing, we can't wait to watch you gobble down the Thanksgiving meal next year. You will love it!

I love you!

Mommy

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

one turkey picks up another

Mason,

A few years ago, I discovered the delight of cooking and eating a fresh turkey on Thanksgiving. Part of the experience includes joining the masses in picking up turkeys at Eastern Market a day or two before the holiday. What a joy to take you with me this year!

Grandma and Grandpa helped us prep for Thanksgiving dinner--I couldn't have pulled off this meal without their help this year. I would get 10 minutes into a recipe, you would start fussing, and I would return 30 minutes later to find the dish completed by Grandma and Grandpa. They did all the work while I cared for you--what lifesavers!

Here we are at the end of the turkey line.


We waited in line 40 minutes. You were a doll and put yourself to sleep in your car seat.


But then you woke up and helped me select fresh flowers for the table.


You weighed more than the turkey, but not much. You will have less patience for the turkey line in future years, if you accompany me on this errand. I hope you will, though. It's one of my favorite DC Thanksgiving traditions. I loved having you with me this year!

XOXO,
Mommy

Saturday, November 19, 2011

special treat

Mason,

You began sleeping 10+ consecutive hours the night of Thursday, November 10th. When we awoke on Friday, November 11th, and realized you hadn't cried out at 4 AM, which had become your habit, we thought you deserved a special treat: we allowed you into our bed for the first time.

You wore a shocked expression while you laid very still, an uncommon practice for you, and looked around. We crawled in beside you and enjoyed reading a book as a family. You tolerated the book, but then you began to yawn and fuss. We would have let you snooze in our bed, supervised of course, but the possibility didn't occur to you. Plus, you're a creature of habit and like routines, so we swaddled and returned you to the crib, and you went right to sleep.

Cuddling with you in our bed was more of a treat for us than for you. But one day, one day, you will be lobbying to climb into our bed and we may regret inviting you.

Don't hog the covers or push us out and we'll get along just fine.

Love you!

Mommy

Thursday, November 17, 2011

outfit switch a roo

Mason,

Remember this photo taken the day you came home from the hospital?


On your two-month birthday, you finally wore the outfit Daddy and I intended for your homecoming.


I'm weeping now.

Love,

Mommy

month 2: reflections

Mason,

Another month has passed. What a whirlwind you are and life is, but we're having a blast!

Although our hearts ache at how fast you are growing up, we love watching you develop as a little person. Even at two months, you have ideas and preferences and ways, and BOY do you make them clear! Your communication skills have taken off this month, and you're beginning to discover the world around you.

You've fallen in love with overhead lights, brightly colored artwork, and ceiling fans. When we lay you on the couch, this is what we see.


And then your look of wonder turns to one of joy.


Now why won't you smile at us like that?!

You do smile at us sometimes, but your joy for inanimate objects far surpasses your delight for us. We'll forgive you for now. Lord willing, that will change one day.

You talk to us more than you used to.


But you talk to your best friends, the fan and the light, much more often. Oh well.

Most people say you look like Daddy. It must be a boy thing.


But you definitely have a few of Mommy's features.


We think you're a perfect combination of both of us. You have Daddy's nose, forehead, hairline, eyelashes, and feet. You have Mommy's blue eyes, blondish/brownish hair, ears, and cheeks. Your looks have changed in two months. We barely recognize the baby in the pictures we took at the hospital.

You learned how to take a bottle this month, and Daddy enjoys feeding you several times a week, preparing you for when Mommy returns to work. Bottle or not, you don't miss a meal, which is why you're still in the 90th percentile for weight. Thanks for being such a great eater, Sweetie!


There are benefits to being in the 90th percentile. You have a big tummy and Mommy stuffs you full at night, which helps you sleep longer. Shortly after you turned five weeks old, you seemed ready to sleep longer at night, so sleep training started in earnest. After a couple weeks, you began consistently sleeping 10-11 hours at night just before you turned eight weeks old. Great job, Honey! We are forever grateful for your good eating and sleeping habits.

Your little personality is really developing. You have a temper, which erupts about once a day. We've already had a preview of your teenage years. Now, we catch glimpses of what you'll be like at age two. You can go from happy and cooing to red in the face and angry in about 30 seconds. You're the only baby we know who hates being snuggled and cuddled. You arch your back and squawk if we hold you for more than a minute, and then grin and coo as soon as we lay you down. We're trying not to take this personally.

You've had a number of visitors this past month, most of whom you've run off when you were ready for them to leave. Do you know that screaming babies put people on edge, Pumpkin? Perhaps you do, and that's why you let loose when you get sick of people fussing over you. You're a smart cookie!

We joke and call you our little grump, but know that we find your personality both hilarious and endearing. We're your parents--how could we not? We love you, grouchiness and all. Perhaps we should have named you Oscar. Now there's an idea for a future Halloween costume!

Mason, even on your grumpiest of days, you fill us with a joy that we never knew existed. You're the perfect baby for us, Sweetheart, and we can't imagine life without you.

We love you!

Mommy and Daddy

two month sticker

Mason,

You're two months old!


Daddy and I barely remember your newborn days.


Forget Cooper. I found something else to better document your growth each month: the duckie sleeper you wore home from the hospital. I have a picture of you in it at two days and one month old, and now you next to it at two months old.


Yep, you've outgrown it! You wore it longer than I expected you to. Today, you weigh 13 pounds, six ounces (90th percentile again!) and you're 23.5 inches long (75th-90th percentile). You're healthy! And we're incredibly thankful.

You were a brave boy during your first round of vaccinations. You slurped down the oral vaccine like it was candy--you never turn down anything to eat! And you only howled for a moment during the second shot--I was able to soothe you pretty quickly.  


Do you know how many pictures I have to take to get a few decent ones to post on this blog? At least 50. What did people do before digital cameras?


Daddy and I love you, Sweetie! It's been a blissful two months!

XOXO,

Mommy

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

little Linus

Mason,

Who needs the paci when you can snuggle with a blankie?


Even though you are fully capable of taking a pacifier, you reject it 95% of the time. You not only reject it, you act insulted when we offer it and sometimes our doing so causes you to lose your temper. But a blankie usually makes you feel better. You pull it right up to your face, chew on it, and snuggle with it. You can't resist a good blankie.


I find this behavior endearing. I was a blankie baby myself and would love to have a little Linus in the making!

Keep snuggling, Sweetie! Your blankie is your friend!

I love you!

Mommy

Friday, November 11, 2011

week in review

Mason,

We've had quite the week. Besides our shopping excursion, we visited Daddy at his work for lunch, met baby Caroline, and took a family walk on Veterans Day, when Daddy was home with us.

We strolled from our house to Daddy's office this time, and it worked out so much better. It was a beautiful day, and you can't beat the view.


Daddy works long days and doesn't get to see you much during the week, so he appreciated our visit. Plus, you can't beat lunch in the Longworth cafeteria!


You were really good and allowed Daddy and me to finish our lunch before you woke up to eat your own.


On Thursday, we went over to my friend Allison's house to see her and to meet your baby friend, Caroline. You did a great job of being gentle with her.


Today was chilly and windy, but we took you out anyway to get some fresh air. We live within walking distance of some beautiful landmarks. Here you are in front of the Supreme Court building.



And this building should look familiar to you.



Washington, DC is a pretty neat hometown, huh? Not too many babies grow up with the United States Capitol and pretty monuments in their backyards.

Daddy and I relish strolling the city streets with you. It's no wonder you have a love/hate relationship with the car--you hardly ride in it.

Love you!

Mommy

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

shopping rules

Mason,

Daddy already told you about one of his rules, but I have some, too.  And our recent shopping excursion prompted this post.

As long as we frequented baby stores, you were an angel. But as soon as we stepped foot into one store for me (Ann Taylor Loft), you awoke from your deep slumber and flew into a rage. After a few dirty looks from other shoppers and the store's employees, I wheeled you outside and you immediately stopped crying. I pushed you around for a few minutes, just to make sure you were calmed down, and entered the store again, which prompted another instant meltdown.

I'm not above bribery--Ann Taylor Loft was having a sale and I had Christmas money left over from last year, so I wasn't about to leave empty-handed. I took you outside, got you out of the stroller, sat on a bench, fed you, and implored you to please cooperate.

We then raced through the store at lightening speed, gathering clothes for me to try on. I knew that getting you to a dressing room would help, which it did. There, we had plenty of space and privacy, so I changed you, fed you, and let you play on a blanket while I tried on clothes. We probably spent at least 30 minutes in there--you loved the lights! But then you melted down as soon as we left the dressing room and screamed while I paid for my clothes. The sales clerk was so flustered that she didn't even remove my items from the hangers. I've never seen store employees so relieved by anyone's departure.

Now listen, Son. Your daddy used to act like this (figuratively, not literally). And it took me years of marriage to break his selfish shopping preferences. Let's nip this bad habit in the bud early, shall we? And one day, Lord willing, when your lady friend compliments you on how patient, enthusiastic, and gracious you are when shopping both with and for her, you can say with pride, "My mama taught me right."

I'm always looking out for you, Sweetie!

Love,

Mommy

Saturday, November 5, 2011

meeting Madison

Mason,

Your auntie is a pet lover, and has an adorable dog and two cats. You got to meet your "cousin" Madison today, Ellen's pug. You and Madison are about the same size, each weighing between 12 and 13 pounds.


Uncle Luke hopped in for a family picture. You look like a little animal yourself--your fleece's hood has ears.


This next picture is my favorite. Madison wanted to shake.


Then, for some unknown reason, you melted down. Madison had never heard a baby cry before, and she was very concerned.


She ran right over to where you and Daddy were standing, and spent an amazing amount of time standing up on her hind legs, trying to see what the fuss was about.


Really, Mason, what was the fuss about? Madison didn't even bark at you. But her cute little pug face was crinkled with worry.


We'll see how much Madison cares about you once you become mobile. I have a feeling you'll like her more than she likes you.

Love,

Mommy