Mason's 1st Halloween

May I introduce to you "Captain Stinker" - the cutest little pirate you ever did see...

My husband & I have different views on Halloween. He doesn't like the holiday & thinks the meaning behind it is evil. Me on the other-hand loves Halloween & everything about it. So being that this was Mason's 1st one, I made sure to go a bit overboard & fully decorated the house in all the pumpkins, ghosts & black & orange decor & could get my hands on. To say Shane was thrilled is an understatement but I told him it was for our son & we wouldn't be denying him this super fun holiday as a kid so he would have to eventually get over it.

Mason's 1st Halloween started off by going to daycare & having a little Halloween "party" there. He wore a super cute outfit that had a little Frankenstein on his butt & his shirt said "Mummy's little Monster" :)

Later that morning, all the kids (& babies) dressed up in their costumes & had a little party at lunch-time. Once I picked him up, we made our way home, ate & I put his pirate costume on so I could get some pictures. 

After several pictures I got "the hand" & decided that this was his "no more pictures Mama" look:

Unfortunately, Shane got delayed coming back from Arizona for work so he missed out on Mason's 1st Halloween. He was so very bummed & I felt so bad for him. Mase & I sent him this picture of us but I think that just made it worse :(

Once he was dressed & ready to go, I loaded up the stroller & made our way "trick-or-treating" to a few of our friend's houses around the subdivision. Then we made our way back to our cul-de-sac for our annual gathering in the driveway of our neighbors Dave & Gael.

Mason lasted until 7pm & then the "sleepy monster" got him so I put him to bed & then rejoined my neighbors outside. We all stayed warm & cozy around the fire-pit while enjoying a glass of wine, chit-chatting, handing out candy & sampling the candy that everyone else was handing out. 

We had a great turnout of kids this year & it was so fun seeing all their costumes. The funniest one was a teenage girl who was covered from head to toe in gray paint sample cards & she was "Fifty Shades of Gray" which we all thought was pretty clever. However, given her age I am hoping that she has no idea what the books are about!

By 9pm the trick-or-treater's had died down & this Mama was getting tired so I called it a night. Shane had finally made it home so I filled him in on Mason's day & showed him the cute pics I took.

Even though Mason had no idea what day it was or why he was wearing a costume, it still was a super fun evening. I can't wait until next year when he can help me decorate, carve his 1st pumpkin, & when he is walking/talking & we can all go around the neighborhood trick-or-treating together - just me & our little family of three :)

Hope everyone had a fun & safe Halloween!!

9 months old

Mason James, you are now 9 months old! The holiday's are fast approaching & before we know it we will be celebrating your 1st birthday! The date is set, the place we are having the party at is reserved, & the planning has begun! Mommy is having SO much fun putting your birthday party together! I realize that you won't even remember it, but your Mommy & Daddy will & that is the important thing - we will have survived our 1st year as parents & to me that is definitely worth celebrating!

We are looking SO forward to these upcoming few months & sharing in your 1st Halloween, your 1st Thanksgiving & especially your 1st Christmas! I do believe that Santa may or may not have already began shopping for your gifts under the tree :) 

Weight: You had your 9 mos Dr's appointment this week & you weighed in at 23 lbs (75th percentile) & were 28 1/4" long (50th percentile). This past month you officially moved up to a size 4 diaper as well as started wearing lots more 12 month clothing. It amazes me every week how fast you are growing!

Sleeping: At 9 months old shouldn't you be sleeping through the night by now? For a couple weeks you were omitting your 11pm wake-up & would sleep from 7:30pm - 2am but that was short-lived. Just when we were getting 4-5 straight hours of sleep you started a "sleep regression" & we are now back to waking up at 11pm & 3am. Or maybe it is the "seperation anxiety" phase I have been reading about - you do tend to sleep like an angel when you are in mommy & daddy's bed & know that we are right there?! Your Pediatrician says we need to do the "cry it out" method with you to eliminate that 11pm wake-up so I think I am going to have to cave & give it a try. I am at the point where Mama is tired & needs to get some sleep so I will try anything!!

Eating: You are a fabulous eater - obviously looking at you, you don't go hungry! You continue to LOVE applesauce, carrots & any kind of food you can pick up with your fingers & shove into your mouth. You also have become a pro at sipping water from a sippy cup. We got the green light from your Ped to start eating table foods so I am looking forward to introducing new foods & seeing how you do with it all.

Milestones:
- You are now pulling yourself up on anything & everything you can! You are standing & balancing yourself by holding on to things with one hand, walking while pushing your toy bin around the room & can go from standing to sitting like a pro. You even let go of the furniture for 3 seconds last week & were standing all by yourself but quickly realized it, got scared & dropped down on your butt. I have a feeling you are going to be walking by Christmas - if not sooner - YIKES!
- Crawling has become your mode of "transportation" & you are super fast at it. I am amazed at how quick those little arms & legs move to get you from one place to another.
- You have outgrown your infant carseat so last week I ordered & installed your new Britax convertible carseat. Just one more reminder of how big you are getting :( It fits you much better & you don't look so "cramped" in it! The only negative to it is that it is difficult to reach around & help you with a bottle or putting your pacifier in your mouth. I will be glad when you are finally old enough to be front-facing!
- While out shopping we stopped in to Stride Rite & fitted you for your 1st pair of shoes. You measured 4 1/2 wide (chunky little feet) & so we bought you two pairs of  "early walker" shoes - one brown pair & one white/navy pair. They really help you get around better while crawling & pulling up on things! Daddy says you look so grown up in your "big boy" shoes :)

- You constantly babble, make sounds & try to communicate with us - I just wish I knew what it was you were saying! We practice Ma-Ma & Da-Da on a daily basis & the race is on to see which word you say first. Mommy & Daddy may or may not have money riding on it - lol :)
- This past month you have become a HUGE "mama's boy" & separation anxiety has become a reality for you. As much as I love your new found love for your Mama, it sure makes trying to get anything done around the house impossible. You don't like to be far from me & when anybody else hold's you, you are scanning the room in fear of not being able to find me. What can I say? You love your Mama!

- You cut another tooth this past month. It is your left lateral incisor tooth & now you have a "fang" just like your beloved Bulldog's do!
- You love to stand in front of the window, look outside & feel the "cold" window with your hands. I have lots of fun pointing out the trees, grass, houses, truck & cars in the cul-de-sac to you & love to see you paying close attention to every word I am saying - soaking it all up like a little sponge!

- Our neighbor's have been generous enough to let us use their swing-set & you love to be pushed in the swing! You look like such a little boy in this picture & not like a baby anymore :(

- Mommy has been trying to teach you to wave "bye-bye" & "give-me-five". Needless to say, you do better at "high-fiving" than waving!

- I'm beginning to think that bath-time is your favorite part of the day. You get SO excited when I tell you it's time to take a bath, get you undressed & plop you into the water with all your toys. You love to splash the water & we love to squirt you with your little animal water squirters which you think is so funny!

We love watching you grow, learn & discover new things & are amazed by all you have done this past month. Every month that goes by you do something new or make a new development & we are looking so forward to what the next month brings!

Happy 9 months little man!

 

Wisconsin - Day 4

Monday - Tanner was off to school early in the morning & my sister had a Dr's appointment late morning so I stayed home with Mase, Jensen & Cael. Gave me a whole new perspective of life with 3 kids under 3...not sure I want to make that leap?! I definitely give my sister & her husband kudos for parenting 3 kids under 5 & soon to be 4 come end of November. Although it is a bit chaotic & crazy around their house, they do an amazing job!

Later that afternoon Tanner had swim lessons so my sister took all the kids with her while Mason & I headed to the outlet mall for a bit of shopping. 

 

The Outlet Shoppes at Oshkosh has some great shopping & I always enjoy going there when I visit my sister. It was super cold out so we didn't stay long but we managed to hit several of my favorite stores while there. Mase got some new clothes at Oshkosh B'Gosh (which originated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin back in 1895 - a little history tidbit for you :) & a new winter coat, gloves & cute hat to match at the Children's Place outlet store. Mommy checked out the Coach store but didn't see anything I just HAD to have - which is a first ;)

The rest of the evening was spent packing things up for our departure the next morning & more play-time with the cousins.

Wisconsin - Day 3

Sunday - This morning we loaded up all the kids in the mini-van & made our way to Cuff Farms pumpkin patch. This place was SO cute & there were SO many fun things for the kids to do.

It is a family-owned farm that has been in business for 20+ years. It is open to the public from May-October for asparagus, strawberry & pumpkin picking. In the fall, they have a round-bale climbing area, a straw-bale maze, grass maze, a straw catepillar, & a straw slide for the kids to enjoy. And the best part about it was it was FREE!

Even though it was a foggy, chilly morning, everyone had a ball! Here are some pics of the kiddos enjoying this fun place:

Mason all bundled up!

My cute niece Jensen!

Tanner & Cael on the round bales! You can see in the background how foggy it was!

Jensen & Mason wanted on the round bales too!

Tanner & Cael sliding down the bale slides!

Wagon ride around the farm!

After the kids had checked out all there was to do, they picked out their pumpkins to carve for Halloween. I was amazed at how cheap the pumpkins were - $2 to $4 for huge ones. In Kansas, at the pumpkin patch we went to a couple of weeks ago, they were $12-$16 for big pumpkins! 

Before we left, we all stopped at the snack barn for some hot chocolate, caramel apples, & some popcorn. Once we warmed up & our bellies were full, we decided to make our way back home. So much fun was had by all at Cuff Farms!

Once we got home, we fed the kids, put them to bed & then finally was able to relax on the couch & watch a little bit of TV. 

Great ending to a great day!

Wisconsin - Day 2

Saturday - we had a fairly lazy day. Spent the majority of the day hanging out at the house while Mase had tons of fun playing with his cousins & I enjoyed having nothing to do & nowhere to be. 

 My nephew Tanner insisted we take a picture of us making silly faces :)

Today it was game-day so Mason & I of course had to "represent" our love for the Jayhawks from afar :) Even though they lost yet again.

Later that evening, we all went out to dinner at El Azteca - a yummy Mexican restaurant & stuffed ourselves full of chips & the best bean dip ever!

Before bed it was bath-time - all 4 kiddos. So to save time my sister suggested they all take a bath together & insisted we get a picture of all of them :)

 Tanner (5), Jensen (18 mos), Mason (8 mos) & Cael (3)

Wisconsin - Day 1

Today Mason & I ventured up to Wisconsin to see my sister & her family for 4 days. I was a little nervous flying with Mason by myself but thanks to the fiasco at the airport last time I had all appropriate documentation & check-in/security was easy-peasy. It also helped that Shane dropped us off & picked us back up so traveling with my little man & all his "stuff" wasn't bad at all. I have been amazed at how good of a traveler Mase is. Give that kid a binkie & his Taggie blanket & he is good to go!

Mase & Mommy at the airport

When I booked the flights, I tried to do it around Mason's nap/sleep-times so we ended up leaving late afternoon. During our flight, somewhere over Illinois, between playing with the pretzal bag & thinking it's fun to pinch the ladies arm sitting next to us, Mason starts to grunt & turn bright red which is a look this mommy knows all too well - around here we like to call it "poop-face". I was sweating bullets & praying the entire rest of the trip that the contents stayed "contained" in the diaper. Thank goodness it didn't smell - didn't need that to worry about also. 

45 minutes later we finally landed in Milwaukee. I couldn't get off that plane & into a bathroom fast enough. Once we got to a changing table, I soon discovered poop was coming out the sides of his diaper & up his back - typical "blowout" as other mommies like to call it. So I took a deep breath, got him cleaned up & after 13 wipes, a new diaper & new clothes we were back in business. Thank goodness I packed a pair of jammies in my carry on bag!

After that messy ordeal, we got our bags, loaded up the rental car & Mase & I were on our way. Right before we drove off, I had given Mason a bottle & just as I had planned he fell asleep shortly after we got on the road. It's times like this where I think I am getting this "mommy-gig" down but unfortunately like the "poop-incident" above I am quickly reminded that things can go south in a matter of minutes....literally! Needless to say, it was a quiet, relaxing 1 1/2 hour drive north to my sister's house.

We arrived around 9pm & was greeted by my nephews who were still awake & so very excited to see "Aunt Hedder" & Baby Mason. I haven't seen them since June & am still amazed at how tall they are getting & how much older they look. Definitely growing too fast!

Cider & Pumpkins

Have I told you all how much I LOVE fall & all that comes with it? I may have mentioned it here, here OR here. Imagine how excited I am to share in my love for the season with Mason? He has already helped me make pumpkin bread (which we gave to his daycare providers), helped me decorate the mantle on the fireplace, helped me buy & set up mums & pumpkins on the front steps of the house along with all the other decorations. Okay, maybe he didn't literally "help" but he sure watched me & I could see the twinkle in his eye when I unpacked the pumpkins, gourds & ghosts out of the storage bin ;)

For many years, around October, I would dream about taking my child to a pumpkin patch, going on a wagon ride & watching him/her pick out their own pumpkin. Well, today this long-awaited wish came true. This morning we made our way to the Louisburg Cider Mill & we had SO much fun.

We first toured the mill where they process the apples & watch how they make the apple cider. Then we sat down & enjoyed some fresh hot apple cider with some apple cider donuts - YUM! After our bellies were full of apple-goodness, we made our way over to the pumpkins for some pics. Mase didn't quite know what to think sitting amongst all the pumpkins however, we did manage to get a few good pics of the little guy!

The cutest "pumpkin" in the whole entire patch!

"Can I get this one?"

A "selfie" of Mommy & Mason

My two handsome boys!

We decided not to pay & go through the Corn Maze or on the wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch this year as we felt that Mase wouldn't get anything out of it but we are SO looking forward to going next year when he is walking & can actually understand picking out a pumpkin!

We hope everyone is enjoying the cooler temps, the changing of the leaves & all that comes with the Fall season! I know we are :)

8 months old

Mason - somehow overnight (or so it seems) you turned 8 months old! 

I feel like this is the point in your life where I should be getting teary-eyed about you turning 2/3 of a year old, but instead I am so very happy. We are SO enjoying every stage as it comes & instead of rushing to get to the next milestone, I am heeding the advice given by others - "soak up & enjoy every moment while he is little because he will grow so fast" - & it is SO very true. You are growing too fast my little man :(

Weight: You continue to get heavier by the week! 22 lbs is what the scale said last night but I could swear it is more than that - or at least feels that way! I finally packed up the rest of your 6 month onesies, pants & shorts this past weekend. It aways makes me sad to put your cute little clothes away & move on to the next size :( You are exclusively wearing all 9 month clothes now & at the rate you are growing I have a feeling you will be in 12 month stuff soon! 

You & Mommy went on quite the shopping spree this month stocking your closet with much-needed 12 month onesies, shirts, pants, jammies & some Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas outfits/PJ's! I think it is safe to say that 1)you are indeed spoiled & 2)you are officially set for the winter! You are still wearing size 3 diapers & if I had to guess, you will be moving to size 4's by the end of October.

Yep Mom - it fits!! Let's get it!

Sleeping: There is definitely room for improvement in this department! I am SO ready for you to start sleeping through the night & find myself green with envy when I hear other mom's say their little ones have slept through the night since 4 months old. 

You are still a great nap-taker & continue to take your short early morning & long early afternoon nap. The last couple of weeks you have started to drop that late afternoon cat-nap which makes you a very sleepy & fussy boy by 7pm. You are usually fast asleep by 8pm & go down with no problems. 

You start out sleeping on your back but always flip over to your belly & sleep face down with your cute little butt in the air.

And yes, that is a crib bumper in his crib. Please don't judge - I got tired of Mase getting his little leg caught in the slats of the crib during nap-time & in the middle of the night, screaming when he couldn't get it out & risk injuring himself so the crib bumper was placed in his crib last week.

No matter how many times I turn your head, you turn it back...hand under your forehead & nose buried in the mattress. How you can breathe like this is beyond me!? There are LOTS of prayers said at night that you don't stop breathing on us.

Around 11pm you wake up & want your paci & then become super restless! It takes you forever to get back to sleep & after about 30 minutes of back rubbing, rocking, holding & rolling all over your crib I give up & you end up in the bed with mommy & daddy. You of course fall right asleep & sleep like an angel until around 3am where you wake up for a bottle, fall back asleep & sleep until 6-6:30am. 

Lucky for me, on the weekends you like to sleep in like your mommy & I am SO thankful you take after me in this aspect rather than your daddy - who is always up before the sun rises!

I don't know why or what we are doing wrong but what I wouldn't give for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep! We have tried cereal in your bottle at night, keeping you up later, giving you a last bottle at 10pm & nothing has worked. We have yet to try "crying it out" & as much as I don't want to go there, it might be the only thing that works!?

To be continued...

Eating: Still eating mainly oatmeal cereal, fruits & veggies. You are definitely not a fan of mashed bananas or baby yogurt & you still hate peas. This past week you developed a new love for applesauce & graham crackers. You are getting much better at eating finger foods like yogurt bites, puffs & rice crackers & getting them in your mouth rather than in your lap. The bulldogs love laying under your highchair & can't wait for us to pick you up & catch the food as it falls to the ground. You love to watch the dogs & I dread the day when you figure out that they will eat from your hand. 

Milestones:
- The 1st week of Sept you cut your 1st tooth & then 2 days later you cut your 2nd tooth. I miss your sweet toothless grin but this one is pretty darn cute too :)

- I discovered that you wrinkle your nose when you smile just like your Mommy does :)

- You have mastered the "army crawl" & can get from one end of the room to another in no time flat. For some reason you can’t seem to get the opposite arm/opposite leg concept down & seem pretty satisfied dragging yourself around the room with that one arm! Here is a video...try to ignore my "Mason" voice :)

- I put you down for a nap one afternoon & when I came to check on you this is what I found! You somehow learned to pull yourself up in the crib & you were SO proud of yourself! Unfortunately, you haven't figured out how to sit back down so you get mad & start crying for us to come get you. After seeing your new little "trick" your daddy immediately grabbed his tools & lowered the crib mattress down a notch!

- Your daddy thinks it is the funniest thing to watch you go from an "army" crawl to pushing yourself up to an immediate sitting position. You do it so effortlessly & fast - a real pro!

- Spitting & blowing bubbles are your favorite things to do - especially when you have a mouth full of food! You think it is so funny to spit a shower of green beans & sweet potatoes at your mommy! However, I don't seem to share in your enthusiasm.

- You have now learned how to get something you want. You will spot something from across the room, figure out you want it, crawl over to get it, & pick it up to play with it. Amazing how your little mind works this young.

- You are starting to realize the relationship between cause & effect -- like when you cry in your crib you know that soon mommy or daddy will pick you up or when you drop a toy, Mommy will pick it up & so the game begins....until Mommy gets tired of picking it up after the 10th time!

- Millie & you are becoming fast friends! She has become your little "buddy" & wants to be wherever you are! She absolutely loves to sit with you on the floor & watch you play.

She also loves to sneak kisses & lick the drool off your chin when you least expect it :)

It amazes me everyday the love I have for you. I had NO idea you could love something this much. You are truly the best thing that has ever happened to us & everyday I realize more & more how truly blessed we are & what a miracle you are. 

I want you to grow up having the absolute best that we can give you, to have the feeling that you are so very wanted & loved & protect you with all we have from the evils of the world. I would also love for you to have a sibling as my sister & brother's mean so very much to me but I just don't know if it is in the cards for us. I am leaving that up to higher powers & though I don’t know what God has planned for us in the future, what I do know is that I appreciate & feel so very blessed for our little family of three & if that doesn't ever change than so be it.

Fall Festival

Every year on the 3rd week of September, our little town has what is called a “Fall Festival”. There is a parade, vendors set up booths with food & crafts along the main street, there are inflatables for the kids to enjoy & later in the evening there is the old “street dance” in the middle of the main street with music & a beer garden along with fireworks to kick off the beginning of fall.

We have lived in this little town we call “home” for almost 10 years now & this is the very first time we have ever participated in the fall festivities. Why we haven’t done this sooner I have no idea because it was SO fun.

All three of us ventured out on this cool, crisp morning & got our place in line along the main street of our small town & we all enjoyed watching the parade. It was your traditional parade with the local fire department starting it off with the sirens, along with lots of floats made from local businesses,  the high school marching band, & lots of candy being thrown to the little kids. It was nice to see SO many people supporting our town as there were people packed along each side of the street.

Mason LOVED watching all the floats go by & he has really become fond of “people watching”!  Keeps that boy entertained for hours!

His daycare made a super cute float & the majority of the staff either walked with it or rode on the float. 

When they passed by us they all yelled “Hi Mason”, waved & he even got a quick kiss from his day provider Miss Maggie (pictured below in the black t-shirt holding the sign)! He LOVES Maggie & you can tell she just adores Mason which makes me feel SO at peace with dropping him off every morning.

Can you see Mason's little head & body sitting in the stroller? 1st one on the left :)

Here is a picture of the float the staff made. Mason's afternoon provider is Kendra (whom we love also) & she is in the yellow sweater on the right:

And the back of the float:

The back of the float was pulling diaper boxes, milk cartons, formula cans, baby wipe boxes, etc & was a hit with the crowd! Everyone thought is was so clever!

Mason managed to get through most of the parade but as it was winding down, so was he as it was his nap-time! I still can't believe we have never been to the fall parade before. We will definitely be making this an annual event in the future for sure!

Last Day

Mason has been going to day care for 4 months now & I have been SO pleased with the way his daycare is run as well as the staff who takes care of my little guy.

Every morning I drop him off & am comforted to see him greeted by smiling faces & the excitement on his face when he sees his providers makes it easier leaving him. I have grown particularly fond of the two girls who take care of him day in & day out - Miss Katie & Miss Alecia. They spend more time with my son then I do which is hard for me to accept sometimes but knowing he is in such great hands eases the heartache.

                                            Katie, Mason & Alecia

With that said, I was given some very sad news earlier this week. Miss Katie & Miss Alecia are both leaving the infant room & today is their last day. Katie is going back to nursing school & Alecia is moving over to the 1 year old room - so at least she won‘t be too far! 

When they told me this I immediately got tears in my eyes. I guess I was naive enough to think they would be with Mason all year & had no other lives of their own other than caring for my son - silly me!

It was a tough week knowing we were steps closer to the “last day”. On the girls last day I brought them both flowers, a thank you card with a Target gift card in it & wrote out my thanks & appreciation for taking such good care of Mason every single day while I was away at work. They were both touched & I know they were both sad to be leaving him as well. Miss Katie promises to come visit when she can & we have become Facebook friends so she can keep up with Mason! She has also offered her babysitting services anytime we needed them so that is a nice resource to have in the future!!

After we said our sad goodbye to the girls, I learned that Katie’s mom Maggie was going to be moving to the infant room on Monday & I couldn’t have been happier! Maggie has filled in before when Katie or Alecia has been gone & she runs a super tight ship in that infant room! LOVE her to pieces & so does Mason so it made me feel so much better. 

I am going to miss seeing Miss Katie’s sweet face & look forward to getting Alecia back in 5 months when Mason moves over to the 1 year old room - YIKES - that will be here before we know it!

Colorado...Day 4

Day 4 & it is time to make our way back to Kansas. 

We had a short & sweet visit with Shane's parents & were up early to say goodbye. Not sure when we will get to see them again so we made sure to get a few pictures with Grandpa & Grandma "Mountain" before we left!

Three generations of Taylor's

Grandpa & Grandma "Mountain"

We made sure to arrive at the airport a few hours before our flight since we were unsure how long it would take for us to return the rental car, get checked in, go through security, get a bite to eat, & find our gate. Going through the Denver airport was CRAZY & SO many people. Going through security felt like we were cattle all corralled & rounded up ready to be released at the gate. I didn't care for it at all...especially with a baby but everything went better than expected & we made it to our gate with 45 minutes to spare.

Killing some time waiting to board our plane:

And so this concludes Mason's 1st vacation! So long Colorado.....the Taylor's will one day be back!