04 December 2007

Mason's Wish List

1. Kid’s Easel – Big Lots for $39.99










2. Fisher-Price Little People Garage – On sale this week at Target for $19.99






3. Melissa & Doug Shape, Model and Mold Play Set - Target.com for $14.99 – might be in stores, too.








4. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Lacing Beads in a Box - Target.com for $14.99 – I also saw this or something very similar in the store.






5. BeBop Kidz Sing-Along CD Player.






Mason also could use:
· Hot wheel or Matchbox cars or trucks
· Those big sandbox trucks--bulldozers, dump trucks-preferably the metal, durable ones
· Crayons (WASHABLE), construction paper, coloring or toddler activity books, finger paint stuff, watercolors, paint brushes
· Toddler cds, books, Barney or VeggieTales DVDs
· Balls—any size...preferably soft for indoors
· Gift card to Target for purchase of toy storage unit
· Lincoln logs
· Alphabet/Number/Color/Shape Cards made out of heavy duty paper or cardstock to hang on walls—like teachers have??
· Play-doh
· Mr. Potato Head

Things I Never Ever Never Never Want to Forget About Mason Boy

As Mason approaches his second birthday and as my pregnancy hormones kick into full gear, I feel like I am trying to soak in every part of his little personality...every essence of his being. The camera in my mind is trying to freeze specific pictures throughout the day. I am trying to make sense out of how much he has grown and how quickly the past two years have gone by...from that sweet smelling infant that stretched with every ounce of his strength to this boisterous toddler that can walk and run and talk. He has stolen my heart. He has expanded my patience. He has taught me about life and love and given me a greater sense of purpose and responsibility than I thought I could ever have or handle.

Pretty soon I'll be busy with another little bundle of joy...I'll have to divide my time between the one that has been my whole world for the past two years with a new gift from God. I am excited and anxious at the same time. How can I love someone else as much as Mason....How can my heart grow even bigger....How can I keep from being too busy to enjoy every smile and tear and coo and giggle and milestone?? HOW?? I don't know, but I do know that I never want to be too caught up in diaper changes and feedings and routines to soak in all of the joys of life.

Here are some 'pictures' I am choosing to freeze...these are things that I never ever want to forget about my Mason and the way he is right now in time:

- The way he walks in his snow boots. It is like he is clumping around...big, serious steps...with a big, cheesy grin.

- When we sing "If you're happy and you know it", he puts his fingers in his ears instead of on his cheeks when he sings, "You're face will surely show it"

- Belly laughs.

- Running around and jumping on the bed after bath time!

- Happy feet.

- His addiction to one purple dinosaur.

- When he falls asleep on my lap while reading books for bed or naptime.

- Ring around the rosie.

- The way that he points for me to tell him the 'coloring rules' : Don't color on the table...only on the paper. We go through this EVERY time the crayons come out.

- 'Helping' me bake and licking the spatula.

- The way he makes the "CHOO-CHOO" sound....super high-pitched with the arm motion....

- The amazingly beautiful color of his eyebrows. Seriously, this is something only a mommy would notice.

- Hugs and shoulder pats. And the way he leans in for a kiss.

- The peaceful look on his face when he passes out in the car.

So many more memories that I'll be recording in the next several weeks. I am so blessed to be home with Mason 24/7 so that I can have both quantity time AND quality time!

27 November 2007

The Picture Problema

Well, it will be a while before we get some new pics on here....There is no more room on our computer and we are waiting for the perfect 500gb external hard drive...perfect meaning...the right deal at the right time. Target had them for $88 bucks on Black Friday, but they were out of them (of course)...

So, there will be more pictures soon!

Gobble, Gobble

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Tim worked Thanksgiving Day so Mason and I spent it at Grandma Bella's and Grandpa John's house...Aunt Brittany was there with her brother Kyle and Aunt Lindsay and her friend Joe showed up. It was one of the best (if not the best) Thanksgiving dinner EVER! Tim met us there at 8:00 pm for a quick bite...and then home to bed.

Mason likes to party. He enjoyed being such a little social butterfly all weekend...Friday, Tim's dad and Linda and Brandon came over with the Proellochs Fam for a low-key pizza party.

Saturday, we lounged all day...and Sunday, we went to my parents for MORE TURKEY! It was super fun....and Tim was off yesterday, too...so we have had a ton of family time...I'm already missing him this morning.

Mason is in a MEGA-DADDY PHASE. He pushes me away and says DA, DA!! It is a glorious thing at 5:30 in the morning ... sorry, honey, Mason wants YOU...I'm going back to bed.

And, now the holiday season is upon us....SUPER EXCITING. We'll be putting up our tree and decorations this week...and making our lists and checking them twice. It will be interesting to see how much more Mason 'gets it' this year...and then the big boy will turn 2!!!! YIKES!

So much to be thankful for--family, friends, health...and a Savior that loves us and provides for our every need. Our pastor spoke on his missions trip to Cambodia this past Sunday...and it was a great reminder of how blessed we are to live in this country...to have a roof over our heads, with heat, warm clothes. It challenged me to be thankful for so much more than I normally am....

15 November 2007

NO!

...

NO!

So, Mason started saying NO last week....Previously he would just shake his head emphatically. His little voice sounds so cute when he says it that we can't help but laugh...he seems to say it as an automatic response most of the time you ask him any type of question....so it is quite cute. BUT we know that, soon enough, this will be our LEAST favorite word to hear.

SEE FOR YOURSELVES:

13 November 2007

Bye, Uncle Phil!


Uncle Phil is in town for his final farewell before he heads out to Washington State. Mason has been enjoying time with him. He especially loves Uncle Phil's hat.

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles...

Oh yeah, and helicopters, school buses, garbage trucks, dump trucks, landscaping entourages, snow plows, cars with loud exhausts, 'kids with loud music' cars, people that honk their horns, leaf blowers, snow blowers, lawn mowers, tractors....anything with an engine....

Back in my pre-kid days, I used to laugh at parents that said they had to tiptoe around their house when jr. was asleep. I mean, kids are supposed to sleep so soundly that they NEVER wake up at said noises....Then I had Mason.

He slept thru the night at 7 weeks. I was in heaven. I thought I was the best mom on earth. I planned my life around his precious schedule and marveled at his amazing desire to sleep all night long. It was because I was a nursing mom. It was because I had amazing intuition. It was because I attended to his every need so well. I vaccuumed while he slept. I left his door open so that he would get used to noise. I did everything right.

But then something went terribly wrong: He started HEARING things and WAKING UP!! At first, it was really loud things....like crashes in the kitchen or somebody loud at the door. But it soon turned into anything and everything: The squeaky brakes on school buses (there is a bus stop right next door). Tim's truck warming up in the morning. Loud trucks. So I put a fan in his room to drown out noise. Then I put a fan outside his door to drown out more noise. Then I started tip-toeing...and requiring others to talk in hushed voices...I felt rude. I even ssshhhhed people. I was that mom.

But what are you going to do. The kid needs to sleep...for your sanity as much as for his. And when the kid next door catches the bus at 6 am....that's just too early....And when the snow plow comes barrelling down the street at 4 in the morning....

So we know have a white noise machine that works fairly well. And Mason's sleep has regressed too many times to count...so we really don't know what is waking him up or why...I think it depends on his mood. And, according to Dr. Ferber, where he is in his sleep cycle.

But to all of those loud vehicles that cut through my precious 25-mile-an-hour street...there have been times when I have wanted to sniper out my window...with a silencer, of course.

09 November 2007

FALL DAYS



Raking leaves....so fun...Jumping in leaves....so much more fun!

02 November 2007

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Mason was a rip-roarin', rootin'-tootin' cowboy for Halloween this year. And let me just tell you that he was in his glory...he couldn't stop looking at himself in the mirror and once those cowboy boots got on his feet, he would not take them off---he was literally tap-tappin' around the house in his boots and hat, riding his rocking horse, and smiling with complete pride.
I got him dressed at 9:00 in the morning and took him with me to my dr. apt. He was so happy that everyone noticed his boots and seemed excited that they knew he was "Mason Cowboy" for the day!

He loved passing out candy to the 'big kids' and we even ventured out and 'trick or treated' at 4 houses....he was clicking all the way! It amazed me how fast he embraced the ritual of knocking on doors, saying trick or treat, and holding up his red bucket for candy.

26 October 2007

Summer At A Glance

Ocean City 2007

Mason Won't Eat Spaghetti...But He Loves Pizza & Blueberry Yogurt...YUCK!


Brownie Makin'/Eatin' Boy



Mason's 1st and Last MOMMY & DADDY Haircut


Buzz Cut Gone Bad

Zoo Days...see the dinosaur in the background


Sliding Is Serious Business






Back In The Saddle

Well...it's been a while...I know it and you know it. But, I am turning over a new leaf (well, lots of them in my back yard).

It was a crazy summer....between hideous all-day sickness, a toddler who went through major sleep regression, a husband who worked no less than 70 hours/week, and the overall exhaustion of parenting while pregnant.

Besides the frequent nervous breakdown on my part (to the point where Tim said "I don't know if I'll be able to make it through another pregnancy with you!"), we did make the 'best' of it...vacationing in Ocean City (best year yet) with Emily, Dan, and Luke, trying to get our money's worth out of our zoo pass, working on the house and yard, daily trips to the playground (with me heaving in the bushes), and plenty of cookouts with friends and family...

Needless to say, I am so glad that fall is here. We are 27 weeks along with our pregnancy and Baby Best #2 is kicking like he/she doesn't care. This pregnancy is going great since the morning sickness subsided except for my back issues...actually, with all of Mason's drama this summer between not sleeping, not eating, and entering the TERRIBLE TWOS, I sometimes forget that I am pregnant. We didn't find out the sex of this one and it is driving me CRAZY, but I think it is super exciting at the same time. I was told by 4 experts last Friday that it is a girl based on how I am carrying....but I take all of their predictions with a grain of salt. It's either a boy or a girl....and we'll find out on or around January 24th.

Alright. I will post some pics on here now for your viewing pleasure....and try to keep updating on a more regular basis...

16 June 2007

Mason vs. Razzle


Mason vs. Razzle....Razzle wins...this round. We have been dog sitting all week for Razzle and Mason has been tormenting the poor old dog all week....But Razzle won at least one round. Mason was chasing him with his head down and did a face plant...OUCHIE!

30 May 2007

Memorial Day

Well...we had a very memorable Memorial Day Weekend....Since things have been so crazy around here, we decided not to go to Maryland to visit Emily, Dan, and the new Luke Daniel ;-( Very sad....BUT we are happy to be traveling to MD at the end of the month....

So...instead of 12 hours in a car with a toddler...we got the veggie garden ready to plant, purged 6 garbage bags full of clothes from our closets, killed 2 mice that were inhabiting our pantry, watched Tim in the parade and visited with friends and family....4 whole days of family time...it was GREAT!!

Here are some pics. We paraded with Grams and Gramps. Grandma Bella bought Mason a pool...which he loves...and we cooked out with our good friends on Sunday....


24 May 2007

19 May 2007

Summer 'O Fun

Mason's Auntie Sigrid + her mom bought him this fun toy!! He loves it...and it took quite a bit of hot air to blow it up!! Looking forward to a summer of fun with this happy toddler...such a fun stage.



We went swimming at the indoor pool in Gram's development--so much fun!! Mason was having a blast trying to 'help' Grumpa put together Gram's new computer hutch. He heard Grumpa drilling from outside on the porch...opened the screen door and went inside to investigate. Went right up to where Grumpa was working and picked up a screwdriver and started 'helping'...PRECIOUS!!



Then...during dinner...which he wanted no part of...Mason got up and went to where Gram and Grumpa keep the dog's food... He set up a bowl for Razzle in the middle of the great room and started walking (and then running) back and forth depositing handfuls of dog food for Razzle to eat. He would wait for Razzle to start eating said deposit before husseling back for another load...I have it on video...now I just have to figure out how to upload video to this!!

18 May 2007

The Best Blog

Per the urging of my sister, I have decided to start a blog to chronicle the day-to-day happenings in the Best Household...which includes Tim, Amy, Mason, and Baby-Best-To-Be...