Big Boy Mateo

I'm just amazed at the changes that occur between 10 and 11 months... so many firsts this month! He started refusing baby foods, so he now eats mostly finger foods, standing up to everything, crawling so fast now!, pushing things around the floor... first time repeating a sound. I was talking to Stacie and Kiara about the movie Jaws - I did the "da da...da da" and I hear a little voice repeat "da da da da". I looked at him and did it again, and repeated me again! That was fun... he has also mastered waving. I say "wave to daddy" and he puts his cute chubby little hand up and waves back and forth. Pretty darn cute. He loves having his cousin, Kiara, for a visit for 2 weeks! We are having a fun summer so far. I can't believe my boy is almost 1!

Here he is with one of his books...he is crazy for reading. He even turns his own pages now as you read. It's adorable.
He loves his sister reading to him!

Pushing one of his toys around the house. He loves to do this. I think it's time for some cars and trucks!

Fun piggyback ride from Stacie.

Poor sick little boy.. has his 3rd cold.. watery eyes and runny nose. But he'll still smile for his 11 month old picture!

Mateo Update!

It's been too long since I updated... Mateo is almost 10 months! For his 9 month appointment he was:

23lbs 14oz (75th percentile)
30.5 inches (90th percentile)
still a BIG boy!
He is now crawling, and boy does it change things having a baby on the move. He is into everything. I'm amazed that he can have all these cool toys in front of him, but he goes after the fireplace, the heating vent, the electrical cords, the cat food, etc. We are now using the playpin quite a bit to keep him safe, and give mom a chance to get things done without following him around all day.

Here is his first stage of crawling.. he just started getting up on those knees and sitting there...

Then he decided he liked to stand on his feet, so now he does 1 knee down and one leg extended to push himself along. His "gimpy" crawl. It's pretty cute. He is now standing up in his crib and up to anyone laying on the floor. It seems he prefers his feet. I don't think it'll be too much longer until he's walking.

All dressed up for church. He is wearing a shirt his aunt Tammy bought. She passed away in 2005, but years before had purchased some boy clothes, thinking she would have boys one day. Lucky Mateo inherited these clothes and is now fitting into some of them. It's neat to think of her when he wears them. So handsome!

Reading with Sister. We just love how much he loves books! He loves to be read to... and sits still and intently studies the pages as you read to him. Smart little guy!

Snuggly boys... Mateo knows who "daddy" is! When I ask him "Where is Daddy?" He looks right at him every time! He knows "Stacie" too!

Mateo had surgery for hypospadias this month. He did amazingly well... the day after you would never have guessed he just had surgery. He was back to his smiley self! Here are some pre-surgery pics. How cute is he in his little hospital outfit?

Reading with Mommy while we wait for the doctor...

Day after surgery... back to our usual smiley boy!

Ode to "The Growl"

When Mateo was 4 months, he started to "growl". I remember feeding him at times in the middle of the night... he would stop eating, look up and me, and say "ggrrrrrrrr...." It was hilarious. Growling became his trademark and he would have all the mommy's laughing at Baby & Me Class. Here are some videos of our little Lion Boy...

Stacie is 12, Mateo 8 months, Easter, and other randomness...

Happy 12th Birthday, Stacie! We celebrated her birthday early with family. I told her I would make her anything she wanted and she chose enchiladas. Abue brought Stacie's favorite rice and we had a nice dinner. We gave her Twilight on DVD (I've lost count how many times she's watched it) and a visa gift card to go on a shopping spree. Her Abue made her a beautiful knitted green blanket. Lime Green is her new favorite color this year. Can you tell??
Mateo's first trip to the park... I'm thinking he likes to swing...

Bathtime... those rings are his favorite toy. I thought they would be used to fasten toys to stroller or car seat...I never knew he would love those little rings so much by themself. I think it's because they are so easy to handle with his little hands and easy to chew on.

8 months old! We are loving this age. He is really getting a personality and is so much fun. He is just such a happy baby. We love him!

Chicks dig me...

He has recently started doing what we like to call "funny face". We smile at him and he pulls his neck back, raises his eyebrows, and gives us a big cheesy grin. It's hilarious.

Happy Easter! I thought he would be scared of the bunny...but he wasn't at all. He was happy to take his picture with him!

First Easter basket. He got a bunch of empty plastic eggs, his first toothbrush (to brush those 8 teeth he has now!), arrowroot cookies, and a cute yellow stuffed duck.

Stacie opening her basket in her new easter dress...

Easter Sunday...back from church...

Mommy and her Boy...

I finally finished Mateo's cross stitch!! Started when I was 7 or so months pregnant. Now that he's sleeping so good - I've had some time to finally get it done! It's all framed and ready to hang in his room. Isn't it sweet??

Our blue birds are back for the spring. Mom, can you tell me what kind of bird they are?

Sleeping Through the Night!

I have some great news to post... Mateo is officially sleeping through the night - and I never had to leave him crying alone in his room to get him to do it. Although he's never been a great napper, up until 6 months he was pretty good at night. Only got up 2 or 3 times, ate and went back to sleep. But when we went to Spokane, he got a taste of how nice it was to share a bed with Mommy. When we got home...every time I would put him in his bed asleep...he would wake shortly thereafter and I'd have to find a way to get him back to sleep. Neither of us was getting good rest, so I went in search of a solution. After 3 books and talking to anyone and everyone about it (and sharing a bed with him for a month)... I found our solution. "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West aka "The Sleep Lady". I read the book and decided the "Sleep Shuffle" was the way to get him to sleep. We changed the kids rooms - Mateo and Zack now in the darkest room right next to ours and Stacie in the far room. I nursed him earlier in the evening, read him a bedtime story, and put him in his crib. I sat in a chair next to the crib, patting him and shushing him and comforting him until he fell asleep. When he woke up in the night, I wouldn't pick him up, just return to my seat and help him get back to sleep. He did amazing. Never cried very hard and the longest time it took him to get back to sleep was 45 minutes. Every 3 nights I would move my chair further and further from the crib. Each night he put himself to sleep faster and his sleep stretch would get longer. It has now been 2 weeks. I give him his bath, put his jammies on, read him a story, sing him a song, put his favorite blankie up by his face, tell him I love him and walk out the door. He babbles himself to sleep in 10 minutes or less and sleeps about 9.5 to 10 hours straight. It's wonderful! I'm finally getting sleep again! I get some time in the evenings to do things for myself while he sleeps. He's also napping in there so I've been able to keep up with housework during the day. Yea Mateo! Our little champion sleeper!!

Here is what he loves to do with his blankie... he sleeps with it like this every night.

Here are some pics from the St. Patrick's Day parade last weekend. I was thinking it was his first parade, but I forgot about the bagpipe parade he slept through when he was 2 months. Im sure he enjoyed this one more. He was totally fascinated by it all.. he loves being outside.

Some things he saw...

Sitting with Sister...

"I love the backpack with Daddy... and it tastes so good!"

Mateo is noticing the cat more... he even laughs at her sometimes. Hello Nala!

Stacie took this picture... what a cute smile on that boy!

Mateo has this little basket full of toys. But what is his favorite toy? The basket itself...he always reaches right for that and tips it over. Good times, Good times...

Sweet Boy...

and would you believe Mateo is not the ONLY thing going on in our lives? Hard to believe, eh? Our house has been painted! The painters have been here the past couple of weeks. Here's what it looked like when we moved in nearly 3 years ago...

BEFORE

and what it looks like today... nice, eh?! We are finishing the backyard before Mateo's first birthday and we may be getting new windows as well.

AFTER

I love our house... it's in such a great location. Mateo and I can walk to the mall, the grocery store, the doctors office, etc. and it's such a nice, quiet street. I love that I can show the picture to Mateo someday and say there is our house where you came home from the hospital, and you can see the hospital in the background :)

Mateo Update!

I am long overdue for an update... Mateo had his 6 month appointment a couple weeks ago.

21lbs 5 oz (90th percentile)
29 inches long (95th percentile)
17 inch head (75th percentile)

still a big boy! He now has 4 teeth... 2 bottom and two top "fangs" - no front teeth yet! The fangs go with his "growl". I will have to post a video of that. He's been growling since he was 4 months. It's Mateo's trademark. Just yesterday I felt his 2 teeth next to the bottom two.. so now he will have 4 bottom teeth. He is sitting up and eating solids. Not crawling yet but he can scoot around pretty good.
Here he is on his 7 month "birthday"!

Sleeping wth his cool hat on...
This ones for you, Barbie! He looks pretty cool in his Alabama outfit! :)

Sitting with Papa in our matching hats!

Hanging out with big brother Zack on Saturday morning... Zack and Dad were taking care of me so Mommy could get some more sleep...Mmmmm... carrots!

For Valentines Day, we went to a Mommy & Me Potluck. Here is Nurse Sheila who teaches the classes.. and her nametag tastes oh so good!

I was the "Love Monster" for Valentines!

Boy Genius! At least Mom & Dad think so!

Mom put me in my crib the right way... and this is how she found me - sideways! I'm such a wiggle worm!