Jump!

The Johnny Jumper is by far my favorite piece of baby gear.  I mean...there's nothing cuter than a jumping baby.  Except maybe a clapping baby. 

We've been putting Madden in his jumper for over a month now, but despite our encouragement and demonstrations, he would just hang out.  Finally, yesterday, he got it! 

Mason had to get in on the action, too.  Go jumping McCoy boys!

Just for fun I went back and found Mason's first jumping video.  Yup...jumping babies are definitely my favorite!!

6 Months

I can't believe it - we're halfway to 1! 

Weighs 16 lbs

Wearing 6 month clothing

In some ways, this past 6 months has flown, but in other ways, it feels like Mad Man has been with us for much longer.

The past month has been a big one for Madden.  He's no longer at work with me so is at home full-time, and that means we also began sleep training.  His napping was a mess due to being at the office with me, but he was very ready for structure because he was on a perfect sleep schedule within a week of being home.  

And that makes for very happy parents AND baby.

He's now sleeping around 10-11 hours straight at night, and taking two, 1.5-2 hour naps during the day.  He also found his feet/toes, which is one of my favorite characteristics of this age.  He's a funny little boy - very happy 90% of the time, but if he's hungry/tired/wants to be picked up man, oh man, does he let you know!

We pulled out the Johnny Jump-Up, and although he hasn't quite figured out the jumping part, he likes to sit in it and watch Mason play.

He loves his baths, and I'm hoping to soon transition him out of his baby bathtub and into the big bathtub.

One of his favorite places to be is outside on our new backyard turf, with his brother playing around him.  

Because of all his eczema outbreaks during month 4, we decided to pull back on solids, and start over, to eliminate the possibility of an allergy we didn't catch the first time.  After a week of only oatmeal, we started with sweet potatoes, and apparently he wasn't so stoked his first time.  Luckily that didn't last long and he now loves them. 

Bleh...

We're now eating sweet potatoes, bananas & apples, and have carrots, peas and avocado ready and waiting for the upcoming weeks.  I'm also making his food, which I didn't do for Mason.  Silly mommy - it's SO easy to do, even with my crazy work/mom schedule I'm able to make time every few weeks to make his food.  It makes me feel good to know that I'm introducing him to foods I know exactly where they came from and how they were prepared.

This video cracks me up, not sure why he wasn't loving those sweet potatoes at first??

 This is how I multi-task when I'm alone in the evenings - feed the baby and cook dinner at the same time.  And make sure the 3 year old isn't causing any trouble :)

Month 5 was MUCH better than month 4, but unfortunately it ended with a raging diaper rash.  We spent a LOT of diaper-less time outside in the backyard, which was messy but he sure did love it!  And I got to stare at that cute tush so I didn't mind either!

Maybe THIS month I'll start using the good camera again?  Oh who am I kidding...I'm sure the 7 month post will consist of mostly iPhone photos as well :)

3rd Birthday Questions

I started a little tradition that every year on Mason's birthday, I'll ask him the same 20 questions.  I put together a little scrap book, and every year will include his answers and a picture.  You may remember his answers from his 2nd birthday.  Well, even though I technically answered those for him last year, and this year he answered them himself, apparently he's still got all the same interests.  And by "interests", I mean "cars".

Enjoy!

1. What is your favorite color? Red
2. What is your favorite toy?  Cars
3. What is your favorite fruit?  Apples
4. What is your favorite TV show?  Mickey Mouse Funhouse & Curious George

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  Peanut butter & jelly sandwich

6. What is your favorite outfit? Monkey shirt & monster truck shirt
7. What is your favorite game?  Cars game
8. What is your favorite snack?  Peanut Butter pretzels & milk
9. What is your favorite animal?  Monkeys & giraffes & trains
10. What is your favorite song? Life is a Highway (Cars theme song)
11. What is your favorite book?  Cars book
12. Who is your best friend?  Tyler, Brody, Cal, Grace & Addie
13. What is your favorite cereal?  Chocolate granola cereal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Golf & hit baseballs
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday?  Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? “Ah-ah” & Baby Monkey

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza & birthday cake
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Play cars

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a nice low-key Memorial Day weekend this year.  Hard to do TOO much with the little one still...he's easy peasy to drag along everywhere, but we're sleep trainers around these parts, which means we prefer to stick close to home for naptimes.  Madden's currently taking two 1.5-2 hour naps per day, so mama doesn't want to compromise that!

There were, of course, plenty of cars and parking lots.

Tristan started playing on a softball team that plays on Sunday mornings.  Seemed a little inconvenient at first, till he reminded me his teammates were the parents of all Mason's best friends.  So, Tristan & Mason head to the ball field, and once Mad Man is up from his nap, we join.  That Saturday was gorgeous, and the team had a BBQ after, so we got some great sun time.

One of the football couples who also had a baby in December had a BBQ - we had to get a shot with all of the December coach's babies.  Of the 3 boys, our peanut is the oldest...and the smallest.  Love our little guy!

We hit the pool for the first time this year.  It was Mason's first time being able to go in the BIG pool (no diapers!), and Madden's first swimming experience.  Success on both accounts!

Had one last BBQ, this time at our good friend Heather's house.  Heather went to high school with Tristan and has become a great friend of mine. 

An early introduction to beer.  Probably looked way better than those sweet potatoes he'd just had.

 

Phew.  All that swimming & BBQ'ing will wear a boy out!

Three!

I can't believe it's already been 3 years since we brought this little peanut home.

But it has, and in that peanut's place is a happy, sweet, polite big boy who is one of the funniest people I know.

Mason's birthday was on a Thursday and unfortunately Tristan & I couldn't take the day off from work.  However, I was able to take a 2-hour lunch, so I surprised him, picked him up from school and took him on a lunch date.

We went to Oscar's, his favorite restaurant.  They give you a warm breadstick when you order, which is his favorite.

In true "kid" form, he ordered breadsticks and french fries...so I got a salad with chicken to sneak in some protein & veggis.

After, I gave him the option of a Sees lollipop or a cake pop, and to my surprise he chose the lollipop!  Yum!

Thursday nights he has gymnastics, so that's where we headed after work. Go Mase!

Some balance beam action with daddy.

Madden & I watched from above in the viewing section.  Don't let the expression confuse you, he was actually really happy, this is the face he makes as he's winding up to "talk".  He was amusing everyone in the viewing section with his conversations.

After Gyminity Kids, we headed to Pei Wei for a family birthday dinner.  How cute is our happy little Mad Man??

And, of course, ended the night with ice cream!

We're not having a birthday party this year, we already have plans all Memorial Day weekend with his friends, so didn't feel that we needed to throw a party.  He had a great day though, and loves telling everyone how old he is.

Just had to throw this last picture in there b/c I love this pants-less picture.  His exact reasoning for not wearing pants was "it's ok mama, we're just going in the backyard so I don't need pants.  But I have my Crocks on!" 

He Get It From His Mama

Yup...I think he looks like me :)

Mommy & Madden, both 5 months.

Bring Your Baby to Work!

I worked from home for Mason's first year & a half of life.  Which means I didn't miss a single "first" during that time.  Although it was pretty hard juggling working and a little guy who knew I was on the other side of the door and wanted to hang out with me more than the nanny, I knew how lucky I was to be there.

When I took my current job, I had a minor panic attack because Tristan & I were thinking about having a 2nd child, and although he was still only a figment of our imagination, I couldn't deal with the thought of leaving a 12 week old baby to go back to work full time.  Then I showed up to my first day of work, and during my initial HR meeting, was asked if I had been told about their "Bring Your Baby to Work" program.  

Well, it turns out I work for a pretty amazing company.  The kind that allows women to bring their baby to work with them after their maternity leave is up, until the age of 5 months.  I'm not really sure how I got so lucky to find this job at such a perfect time, but I'm so glad I did (besides the fact I LOVE what I do, and the company itself).

So, after my 12 weeks' maternity leave was up, I packed up Madden, a pack & play, play gym, bouncy seat, white noise maker, diapers, wipes, bottles, pump, various toys and blankets up in the car, and headed back to work.  

The next two months were a blur, where we did everything from:

Take naps

Got some work done 

 Went on walks

Drank a LOT of milk

Played with the other baby who came to work with her mommy (He was obviously not sure how he felt about her, based on his expressions)

And did a lot of hanging out in my office

I don't think I could have survived this past 2 months without the women who became Madden's "work aunties".  These women not only love Madden I swear as much as I do, but were always there to help me out whenever I had a meeting, was swamped with work, or just needed a mental break.

He had a few work uncles, too!

This was by far one of the hardest 2 months of my life...juggling a baby and work at an office full of extremely busy professsionals is a very daunting task, not to mention the fact I of course have another child to get out of the house in the mornings, and feed/bathe/play with every evening.  My days were LONG and non-stop.  But I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am that I was able to have that extra time with Madden.

Last week was his last week at work with me, and so far this week we're both doing great - I'm loving the fact I can go to work and focus, and he's not only doing great with his new nanny and grandparents, but I think he's so happy to be at home, with his brother, napping in his own bed.  

I know there are many "firsts" over the next year that I will most likely miss, but as a working mama who has no choice but to continue working, I am grateful for the opportunity to have had those extra 8 weeks with my baby boy.