10 months already?

May 22, 2006

Dear Mason II,

Happy Ten-Month Birthday!

Ten month statistics: Weight: 24 lbs. 8 oz. Length: unknown Diaper Size: 4 Clothes: 18 months

We have had another exciting month around our house. You are now completely mobile and my world (and yours) will never be the same. Long gone are the days when you would lay on your little mat and stare at the rotating toys above your head. Now, you are up on all fours circling the room trying to find the most dangerous items to put in your mouth. Your dad has nicknamed you “Danger Boy!”

On Friday of this past weekend, you discovered the dog food. We were packing up to head out to PEO convention when your dad called out to me. There you were in the family room stuffing little handfuls of dog food into your mouth. Then you also drooled it down your chin and all over your clothes. I will try to catch a picture the next time you dine on dog chow to embarrass you later.

Your schedule is still pretty much the same as last month. You sleep from about 7:30pm – 6:30am. You nurse approximately five times per day and eat solids three times, plus a few snacks of cereal bits. New foods this month include: cauliflower, kiwi, turkey (which I think you had a reaction to so we are not continuing that for awhile), kale and multi-grain cereal. You also love to eat little Teddy Puffs and Toasted O’s from Trader Joe’s.

This month you have said your first word, although we aren’t technically counting it as a real word yet because you don’t really know what it means…. Da da da da da da. Sometimes it is directed towards your dad and other times the dog. Still some days you sit in the car seat and just talk to yourself in the mirror. Won’t it be exciting once you figure out that it means Dad? You are still signing “milk” and are using the sign for many things food and drink related. Perhaps this next month you will learn another sign.

Hands down, your favorite toy this month is your learning table. I spent $40 on it and thought perhaps it was an overpriced item. Well, you adore it! You stand and bang on it several times a day. It is so much fun to watch you stretch across to the opposite sides to play the different tunes. Other favorite toys include: puppets, ball and all board books.

This past weekend you took your first car trip to Lynchburg, VA. We went down for the weekend for PEO convention. We stayed at the Courtyard where they had an indoor swimming pool! You took your first dip on Friday and then you and your dad did some swimming while I was at the sessions on Saturday. You were quite apprehensive at first, but hopefully you will enjoy it more as you are exposed to more pools.

Since my last letter, we sold our house. Thank God it sold quickly, in about ten days. We are closing on this house on June 16th and then the new owners are allowing us to rent back from them until June 23rd when we will move into the new house. I am so excited. I am nervous about the larger house payment, but I know that we can afford it.

In the last month you have been sick. It started out with a cold or teething at your nine month appointment. Then a week later, your nose was still running and all of a sudden you had a fever. Dr. Fergusson said it was probably a sinus infection and prescribed your first antibiotics. Then two days later your fever spiked up over 102 and scared us to death. Doc says it was a secondary viral infection. I have no idea what that means, I just know that you weren’t feeling well at all.

Since the illness you really haven’t been quite the same. While you are no longer sick, you are changed. Our happy, love everyone baby has been replaced with an anxiety filled baby. I can no longer sit you down with your toys and walk more than three steps away without you wondering where I am. You are quite vocal in your wondering by the way. You used to reach out to welcome any stranger and now you are much more apprehensive. While I am glad that you show caution among strangers, it is sad to think that this is one more milestone you are passing as you make your way into toddler-hood. No matter what, you are still my baby!

Well it has been another busy month. This next month will be filled with moving to our new house and us spending our first week alone together while your dad goes on a mission trip to Mississippi with church. I am nervous, but I’m sure we will have a great time.

Love Always,
Mama