Dr. Mommy

Mason,

It's official! After giving my notice in early March, and enduring a long transition that included working from home all summer, today was my last official day of working full-time outside the home. I'm all yours now! No more leaving you for 9+ hours per day to go to the office. No more sitting on the floor next to you with my laptop carefully placed just out of your reach while I fire off as many emails as I can before you lose patience. No more saying, "Just one more minute, Mason. I'm in the middle of something." Well, I take that back. Those words may pass my lips again, but it won't be because I'm trying to balance a full-time job with caring for you all day every day, at least, not for the foreseeable future.

Now, don't get me wrong--I'll still be working. In fact, this new gig is the most important and demanding one I've ever had. My efforts are just focused solely inside the home now, on you and Daddy and our little family. I've said goodbye to my office, title, paycheck, benefits, paid vacation, and other perks. I can't think of a better reason to give those things up, though. You're pretty irresistible. Besides, Dr. Mommy has a pretty nice ring to it.

Like with any job, there will be good days and bad ones at home, but as long as you understand and respect that I am in charge, we'll get along just fine.:) Especially as you get older and more mobile, I fully expect you to wear me out each day. I am a high-energy person, but your energy knows no bounds.

Daddy's a hero for continuing to work outside the home to provide for our little family and for supporting us in every way. I'm very much looking forward to taking good care of all three of us!

It's a great privilege to spend these precious days with you, Cupcake, but it's an even greater privilege to be your mommy.

Eagerly anticipating our daily adventures together!

I love you!

Mommy

birthday celebration, part 2

Mason,

Grandma and Grandpa arrived earlier this week for their tour of duty while I finished up my job. To celebrate your upcoming birthday, the three of you strolled down to the Sculpture Garden to see the fountains. 

You ventured into the National Gallery of Art--your first museum!

You threw a penny into the fountain. We all speculated on what a nearly one-year-old would wish for.

You admired fine art and saw more fountains.

What a cultured baby you are!

That night, we had dinner and ice cream at home, and opened presents.

Auntie came over for the celebration!

A couple days later, we all helped Grammy celebrate her birthday. Thanks for being extra well behaved on her birthday. I'm sure she appreciated that!

You're a lucky little guy to have both sets of grandparents taking you on special outings to celebrate your big day.

Love,

Mommy

month 11: reflections

Mason,

Guess what? We have another month under our belts. Amazing, isn't it?

This month, Daddy took you on a very special excursion: to purchase your first ball. You took the outing, and your new red ball, very seriously.

Each pool visit now includes a family dunk. Auntie got proof of it when we visited her and swam in her apartment complex's pool.

You love to roll around and wrangle with Daddy,

and read with Mommy. We adore your love of books! You march over to the stack of books, sit down, and hand them to us. Your attentiveness while reading six or eight of them in a row is quite impressive.

Your development has exploded this month.

At the beginning of the month, you began army crawling, but only when absolutely necessary. You still don't crawl the regular way yet, and we're convinced you're not going to. You have no desire to be on your belly or your hands and knees.

This month, you've also learned to sit up from a supine position, pull up, and cruise along furniture like a champ.

You began walking while holding on to our index fingers. Although this exercise is hard on our backs, we love how you're starting to explore the world. You would march around all day like this if we could keep up with you. (We can't.)

You've grown much friendlier these past few months. Your newest trick is waving and saying hi ("aaahhhh") to anyone in your line of vision. And watch out if people ignore you--then, you yell at them to get their attention!

We're amazed by how you can follow simple commands. "Hand Mommy a book." "Look at Daddy." "Pick up that diaper."

Three molars have popped through your gums this month, and the fourth is on its way. You now have 11 teeth (before you even turned 11 months old)--amazing! You eat pretty much everything that we do. You enjoyed your first piece of pizza this month, and you ate nearly an entire piece by yourself! We love your healthy appetite.

You've gotten over your separation anxiety at bedtime and during the night (thank goodness!), but your pouty lip makes an appearance every time we drop you off at the church nursery. You're a bit of a Mama's boy and you keep close tabs on Mommy at all times. You give Daddy a warm welcome home from work--a daily ritual that we all love and look forward to.

It's hard to believe that you only have one more month of being classified as an infant. We're in complete denial that you're turning one soon. Let's not talk about it, okay? Humor us and let us pretend that you'll stay our sweet little bundle forever.

We love you, darling. Happy 11 months!

Mommy and Daddy

eleven-month sticker

Mason,

You're 11 months old!

And these photo shoots continue to get more difficult.

But I outsmarted you this month.

Score one for Mommy!

Love you, Cupcake! Happy 11 months!

Mommy

birthday celebration, part 1

Mason,

Mommy is back in the office this week and next, finishing up her time at work before she starts her new full-time job with you. That means your grandparents are wrangling with you and enjoying all of your new tricks. While they're here, we are celebrating your first birthday with each set. This is a special occasion for them, and for you, this means three separate birthday celebrations spread out over several weeks. Not a bad deal you've managed to swing!

Grandmom and Grandad are up first, and so today was birthday celebration number 1. You and they had a great time. Your first stop was the spray ground just a short stroll from our house. As we've established, you love the water and you loved playing in the fountains.

The next stop was Taylor Deli on H Street for lunch. You're not quite ready for your own sandwich, but we heard you did some damage to theirs.

That evening, we had dinner, and then Mommy and I helped you blow out your candle. Then you loved your ice cream treat, the first of several birthday desserts to come. After dinner and dessert, you got to open presents. The gifts themselves were nice, but I think you found the wrapping paper the best part!

All in all, it was the perfect start to your birthday celebrations. Thanks to Grandmom and Grandad for the nice presents and for caring for you so well!

And for you, the birthday fun is just getting started.

Love,
Daddy

first shoes

Mason,

I thought we'd have a barefoot baby all summer, and you nearly made it. But while vacationing at the beach, you decided you wanted to walk (with assistance). And you'd grow very angry with us when we refused to let you walk in public places without shoes. So, we had to stop by a shoe store on our way home from vacation to buy your official first pair of shoes.

You wore them out of the store and walked, holding our hands, part of the way through the mall to the car. You were delighted to be free of the stroller.

I sense we're entering a new season. I hope Daddy and I can keep up!

Love you!

Mommy

first vacation

Mason,

You survived your first vacation! (And we did, too. Barely.) We went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to attend our friends Chris and Katie's wedding and we spent the rest of the week there.

We took half the house with us.

Chris and Katie got married on the beach and you saw the ocean and felt the sand for the first time. You barely let us hold you long enough to have the picture below taken. You wanted to do nothing other than walk barefoot all around the beach or sit down and run your fingers through the sand. You scooped a few handfuls into your mouth before we could stop you.

We rented a condo in Duck and stayed there the rest of the week.

You waded and swam in the ocean. The water was chilly, but it didn't seem to phase you.

We also spent some quality time at the pool.

We had a blast playing on the beach.

You loved long, early morning walks.

Something about staying in a new place for a week brought on a number of milestones. You sat up and pulled up for the first time, and learned to walk while holding on to our index fingers. You also became an expert cruiser.

We took you to one nice restaurant.

And they were extremely accommodating.

Before you were born, beach vacations for Daddy and me meant sleeping in, lounging at the beach and pool all day while reading our books, napping, and going out to dinner each night. This beach vacation with you included none of those things. We would never describe it as relaxing. But it was fun, memorable, and special--all because you were with us!

Happy first vacation, Mason!

XOXO,

Mommy