Happy Fall Y'all!

HALLELUJAH for fall weather! The outdoors can once again be enjoyable! I love being able to sit outside with a cup of coffee and read (although those moments don't happen much anymore). We can go on family walks without having to take a shower as soon as we walk in the door. And what is better than everything pumpkin... pumpkin bread (although I cant eat it... see my blog on oursevenjourney), pumpkin coffee (see previous quote), pumpkin candles, pumpkin decorating... and on and on.

We met Laura and her kiddos at Cheekwood for a fun day of scarecrows and picking pumpkins. The pumpkins were cheap and Mason always loves getting to play with Ben and Bella. Side note: don't really know what kind of scarecrow this is supposed to be, but Mason seemed to really like it.

 

 



I'm so glad that our neighborhood has a playground... we can take afternoon strolls and burn up lots of energy before bed.

Mason is still enjoying baseball. In the future, I will probably hold Camden off until he is 3 to start "organized" sports (as organized as it can possibly be when talking about 2 year olds). Realistically it is more work for me and we can just go in the backyard and hit the ball. However, Mason enjoys it and it is teaching him good listening skills!

 



Really exciting news: the zoo FINALLY got the kangaroos! Mason was perfectly fine just looking at them from a distance instead of touching them. Less germs for me to worry about!

M has become a HUGE helper for me. He is a pro at laundry... loves moving the clothes from the washer to dryer and pressing the buttons that make it start. I started a daily chore chart for him that includes helping mommy with laundry, so I think he knows he gets a special treat if he helps out. He also helps me at the grocery store. Another reason to shop at Whole Foods: they have toddler buggies (some Publix locations do as well, but not the one we shop at). Helping with groceries is also on the chore chart, but I think he would enjoy this one regardless. I find little goodies every single time I check out that he has managed to sneak in his buggie (of course, it is ALWAYS cookies or some sort of cracker concoction).

I wish I could say that our nights were as enjoyable as our days, but that would be a total lie. We are still struggling with staying in bed at night. We have figured out what scares him (the dark, his door being closed) and made adjustments which have helped, but it is still terrible. I remind myself multiple times a day something that my granddad would always say to me, "This too shall pass". Please, Lord, I pray this getting out of bed all hours of the night phase passes soon!

note the time... why are you wide awake at 1 in the morning?!

Camden is doing great. He is so laid back and calm. He has his 4 month checkup later this week so I can give updated stats then. He has great head control, which means that he is getting to enjoy the Bumbo and Bouncer (a nice change from just his play mat...which he still loves!).

watching football... learning early!

hates tummy time. he can roll over onto his belly, which means he cries until I come turn him back over

his favorite: snuggle time with dad. probably kyles favorite time too since it gives him a reason to sleep

I will update on C more in the next blog. I will leave with fun pictures from a rainy day:

check out C's smile... LOVE!

Dear Mason,

Why, oh why, CANT you stay in your bed?? It's not that hard... just close your eyes, hold on to your lovie, and go to sleep. One day you are going to miss these days of required sleep, and I will remind  you that you had the opportunity and turned it down every day and every night.

Regardless, I love you.

Love,
Your tired mom.

C newborn pictures

In the past I've posted about the stress of taking family pictures...how the pictures always turn out great but the experience is miserable. Taking newborn/family pictures this go round was SO different. We found an AMAZING photographer (Mandy Johnson photography... if anyone is searching I highly recommend her) who made us love family pictures again. The session was less than 2 hours and all the boys (I am including Kyle in this) remained happy and cooperative. I wish I could post all of them, but as I sit here Mason and Camden are "playing" on the floor and the quiet is bound to end soon.

 

 

2 months

Yes, believe it. He is already 2 months old. Life is just now starting to feel normal again. I had forgotten how long it takes to get into a routine, yet alone try to keep a routine while having a 2 year old. While most days are still totally hectic and chaotic, it is at least a manageable chaos. God truly blessed me with a happy, healthy baby ( I think he knew Mason was going to turn into a crazy, stubborn, test your sanity kind of a kid right about the same time). I am much better at determining the reasons for his cry, as opposed to 3 weeks ago when I had NO CLUE why he cried all the time. Between getting him on a better routine and limiting my dairy intake (sigh), life has changed dramatically.

So at 2 months:

~Wt: 10 lb 9 oz (20th %)
~Ht: 24 in (75th %)

Eats every 2.5-3 hours, with 1.5 hr naps between.
Sleeps 6 hr stretch at night (hasn't kicked that 3 am feeding)
Loves his playmat that lights up and sings, the swing, and of course, cuddle time
A little scared of his big brother (don't blame him here... at any given moment M can turn from gentle to defensive)
My favorite: He has started smiling and cooing to our voice

Melt my heart, please.

Mason has started new fall sports... baseball and gymnastics being his favorite. He has a niche for the gymnastics (loves the rolls and swinging). Future gymnast? A 2 year old and baseball may be the funniest thing I have watched in a while. Coach Emily is amazing at keeping them focused and actually teaching them skills. Mason will come home and practice throwing and using the "alligator hands" to catch the ball.

He is loving his 3 year old class at Otter Creek Kindergarten. His favorite part is getting to ride in the front seat of mommy's car while we wait in the drop off line. Last week was lunch with Ms Pat where we got to meet other moms and talk with his teacher, Mrs Betsy. Before we left, I snapped a photo of what I thought I would NEVER witness...him sleeping on a cot.

Speaking of cot...Mason continues to have major sleeping issues with his bed. Why he can sleep on the floor at school and not sleep in his nice, comfortable, mickey bed continues to perplex me. After talking with the pediatrician and having affirmation that is, indeed, ok to let my kid "SCREAM it out", I have resorted to this:

The tape is because I don't know how to use the adjustment on this fancy gate and Kyle was out of town. The electrical tape did not hold... so it was a failed nap day. But it did make for a few minutes of peace while Mason stared in confusion at this contraption.

Of a way more exciting note, my sister had her baby! Baby Kate was born on August 29th. She is healthy and beautiful, and her twin sisters are in for a huge shock!

The hotel we stayed at had a ton of fish, so each morning we would walk around in our pajamas and hunt for the biggest fish.

Summer Finale

With the end of summer approaching, we have tried to cram as many activities in as possible for Mason. From birthday parties to meeting family and, of course, the fair... it has been a busy few weeks.

We took our first "road trip" (if you can call going to Alabama a road trip) with the baby when he was about 5 weeks. Unfortunately the summer and fall is Kyle's busiest time with work, so who better to call on for support than my mom! And Camden was able to meet his great granddad for the first time.

 

Mason loves going to granny's (his great grandmother) house to feed the ducks. A tradition that we started last year, but had no clue that he would love it as much as he does. Added to that tradition, granny completely spoils him with one of his favorite things: smoothies.

Camden also got to meet his older cousins, Maggie and Emily (and baby Kate, but she is still inside Aunt Heathers belly). It was a good chance for the girls to see what a little baby is all about. Of course, they loved him and wanted to hold him the whole time.

 

Three of Mason's best friends had birthdays this month, so Mason indulged in lots of sweet treats (something he doesn't get very often). His good friend Will turned 3 and had a party at the pool. Mason learned a big lesson that day after he was running and fell smack on his head. After 20 minutes of tears and a big bruise on his forehead, he learned NO running at the pool. He has been much better about that since (the hardest lessons are the ones you have to experience for yourself... he found that out that day).

 

Miles and Foster also turned 3 and had a party at Pump It Up. This was our first time there, and I would say Mason had a great time. He spent most of his play time in this machine:

 but he did venture out of the machine for the slide a few times.

 

This is a sad reality, but I don't recall ever going to a county fair growing up. I did ask my mom just to be certain, and she basically confirmed this. Kyle, however, went every year. So why is it that I, not Kyle, was super pumped about the Williamson County Fair? I depicted something in my head, and for the most part it was as awesome as I had hoped. Who doesn't want to spend a day eating fried oreos and giant sized lemonades with the smell of goat poop and throw up in the air? I certainly do! While Mason HATED the rides, we did have fun on the tractors (which were inside, praise God because it was 95 degrees that day), looking at the farm animals, and tasting delicious lemonade for the first time (our bellies hurt for 2 days afterward, but it was totally worth it in the moment).

This was right before he started screaming and they had to stop the ride to let him off. I give him credit... I had just had a talk with him the day before about how bumble bees are scary and we should avoid them. Good listener, Mason!

He loved watching the dogs jump into the water... we probably stood right here for 45 minutes. The little things that entertain toddlers...

And to end the summer fun... Mason's first haircut. Tears. I really didn't want to cut it, nor did I think it was necessary yet, but I was scared that if given the opportunity Kyle would chop all his curls off himself. Who doesn't love baby curls?! The great news is that by cutting it, he actually has MORE curls! It's a win-win for me!

He was pretty weirded out at first, but after the police car and lollipop, he was good to go!