Sweet Little Girls

I am blessed Mason's a boy...otherwise I'd be going broke over outfits like these from artsiegirl's etsy shop HERE:

Baby Büti

I love me some Baby Büti ("Büti" pronounced "boo-tea"). And was excited to find the büti bag company, a great Online store for baby gear designed with Mommy in mind. You can find them at www.butibag.com and you get a 20% discount using the coupon code: bump20

Here's the büti bundle baby bag (say that 3 times fast). It's great for quick trips when you don't really need to lug the entire diaper bag around. It's kept closed with a ribbon wrap tether system (no tying involved), comes with a changing cloth, and wipes pod (see below).

Their revolutionary büti pod is a flexible wipes dispenser (any Mommy knows that even the travel-sized wipes cases can be a bulky nuisance when trying to fit all your other gear in the "jack-of-all-bags" diaper bag. What a great invention...seriously!

Horrible Mommy Award

The Horrible Mommy Award goes to me. I made a majorly stupid move Sunday night:

I have a towel pallet set-up right next to my bathroom sink and I use it to change Mason in my bedroom...and admittedly I place him there when I have to hurry and use the restroom too. As well as when I'm at the sink getting ready. My illogical rationale was this: since he can't roll from his back to his tummy, then if I place him on the pallet perpendicular to the mirror, then for injury to occur he'd have to either inch completely over to the edge of the counter to fall off OR would have to magically be an incredibly progressive baby and learn to turn from back to tummy AND he only just now learned to turn from tummy to back (the opposite: back to tummy, is far more advanced).

Well my baby is "magic." He turned from back to front and rolled into the sink, hitting his head on the way. My poor baby!

Thank you God that Mason didn't fall on the floor!

BAD MOMMY BAD!!!

I was a little hysterical, looking immediately for signs of a concussion- there was no blood but definitely a red spot above his right eye and two spots on his head where I could tell he bumped. But I nursed him to calm him down and called my mom in a panic. I went through the checklist:

• awake and fully conscious
• normal pupils
• appeared to have clear vision
• appropriately crying
• no vomiting

As soon as I felt he was not going to have to be rushed to the Emergency Room, I nursed him and he stopped crying, immediately calmed down, and even cooed while I was on the phone with Mom.

Thank you Lord!

I jokingly called my child Super Mason a few days ago...but seriously! He's only 2.5 months-old, can briefly stand unassisted, AND can roll over both ways. YIKES!

As I write this, I placed Mason on his back on the floor, next to me and in the time it's taken me to type the post, my Wiggle Worm has: rolled on his side and rotated his body so that he's 180 degrees turned around. He is a very active baby...sheesh!

I've sufficiently learned my lesson. Although I likely will not sleep much tonight as I'll be checking for vitals all throughout the night just-in-case.

________________________________

Non Sequitur: I made these 2 little guys for Mason; they're made of remnants from the nursery fabrics. And shortly, I hope to make him a Quiet Book, because goodness knows if my child will be as verbally vibrant as he is active, he will need a quiet book.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

...it's SUPERMASON!

***PLEASE NOTE: No Masons were harmed in the picture-taking of this "freestanding" 10 week-old.***

No worries, Mommy was standing nearby and she caught Baby Mason when he lost balance.

I also caught a great shot! See, I've kept telling everyone how strong this little guy is. And yesterday (April 23, 2009), Mason completely rolled over from tummy to back. I missed it completely, but Nanny C saw the whole thing. She said he was immediately startled...I can't wait to see it myself! Twice yesterday he was pretty close to rolling from back to tummy, but we still have a LOT of work to do before that.

Way to go Super Mason!

Some of My Favorite (Baby) Things

1. Yo Yo Dolls - adorable!

2. Spa Baby- this is an interesting concept, not quite sure if it'd really work though...

3. The Silly Wagon: Wooden Giraffe Toy - wayyyy too expensive, but a very cute toy!

4. Taggie Monster- a free tutorial from the Wendolonia blog

5. T-shirt Pants: another free tutorial on the Rookie Moms blog

6. Homemade Quiet Books- I've been doubly inspired by...

Homemade By Jill

and this Etsy Seller- shelleywallace

7. And then what good little Asian baby shouldn't have a Toy Sushi Set to play with?

Poor Nanny C

Nanny C just came back in from taking Mason on a walk as he'd been fussy this morning. Even after a feeding. Normally a stroll either puts him to sleep or calms him down. Well this morning it did neither.

I asked how Mason was doing after his walk and a little exasperated she said,

"Well, we got up to the road and he made a dirty diaper so I told him we'd come back in and I'd change it. But now he's just mad. AND HE WON'T TALK TO ME!"

(this pic is his ANGRY face at 5.5 wks)

Jungle Critters

Meet our Jungle Friends...

Leon the Lion, Ellie the Elephant, Gina the Giraffe

Zeke the Zebra's around here somewhere, but he ran off to the watering hole and I can't seem to find him...

These jungle critters were the icons used for Closet Dividers that help sort out Mason's hanging clothes. Nanny C has done a wonderful job of cleaning up after messes: dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, clearing off the deck...all in addition to caring for Mason. But we ran into a bit of a problem with the laundry. I'll typically wash and dry our clothes at nighttime because it can be a bit noisy during the day, but Nanny C will put the clothes away. We started to have the sizes mixed up a bit in the closet, so the other night I made these dividers that hang on the clothes rod and they clearly mark the sizes and keeps our clothes nicely organized.

And of course all we're missing is Mason the MONKEY!

Moving Up In Size

Mason's not so little anymore.

He's now filling up his size 3-months and he's only 10 weeks old today. Here he is this past weekend in a 3-month outfit. Mom had shared with me that he'll grow wide and then long, wide and then long, wide and then long. And that's exactly what he's doing.

In this picture he looks like a chunker; however, today, just a few days later he's much leaner but is lengthening out growth-wise.

And I don't think it's quite accurate, but according to our scale, he's 12 lbs. It does make me a little teary-eyed now that we'll be retiring our Newborn clothes and are even starting to grow out of some of the smaller 0-3 month outfits. Baby Mason's growing up!

Only A Mother

...would know and love all of her child's idiosyncrasies and physical traits. They're trademarks that make Mason mine and I could go on all day about how much I love every part of him.

Behavioral:

• Mason's very cuddly and seems to be content being held by just about anyone. One of our "Mason & Mommy Moments" (M&MM) is when he's being held by someone else but sees me approaching he'll just smile really big when he hears my voice or recognizes my face.
• When he's superveryupset, he'll pout out his bottom lip and just wail making a sound that sounds pretty close to "Mwwahhhhmm Mwwahhhmmm..." He has no idea it sounds like, "Mom" AND he has no idea that it's a little amusing watching his lip poke out.
• Mason's learning how to self soothe by making a fist with his right hand and he tries to stuff it in his mouth. He hasn't quite figured out that it won't really fit. He's not a thumb sucker, not a pacifier sucker...he's truly just a boob man. Sometimes it's nice to feel needed!
• He coos when he's superverycontent. When he's cooing by himself and someone approaches him, he'll realize it's time to show-off a little bit and he'll smile even bigger.
• When he's agitated or having a fit, he'll throw his head back and stretch his body out pushing up on his legs. He's a strong little guy and has almost flipped out of my arms a couple of times.
• When he's simply content or falling asleep, he'll extend his arms to rest on my shoulder or chest, that's another M&MM.
• Even though he's not sleeping through the night yet, he'll lay content for a while until he decides he's hungry. This has allowed me to not be so cranky in the mornings...thank you God!

Physical:

• His right eye is smaller than his left. Just like me.
• He has dimples on both cheeks, but his more pronounced one is on his right.
• His left nipple is slightly inverted.
• His piggy toes and long fingers have looked identical to mine from birth.
• I haven't ever seen anyone with ears shaped like his. They're not large, they don't stick out, and they're not prominent on his head...just shaped differently.
• He has Mongolian Spots on his little booty and one on the top of his left foot.
• His skin complexion is gorgeous: olive-toned and there's no doubt in the world that we share genes.

Buzzing Bee

Mason is a night owl who loves staying up late- typically he doesn't go to bed before 11pm. It's terribly difficult to get upset though as he's ridiculously happy and wiggly at this hour. I filmed one of our "games" the other night when he was refusing to settle down for bedtime. He likes the Bzzzzing!

Mommy Tricks I've Learned to Keep Mason Happy:

• Sometimes when I can tell he's getting a little fussy, I'll "buzz" him and he grins really big and forgets he was about to fuss.
• I'll razz his tummy and speak in a high-pitched voice and it tickles him. I keep waiting for him to giggle. One day...
• When I'm getting ready in the mornings, I usually place him on a towel on the counter next to me (don't worry, he's right in front of me!) and if he gets really upset, I turn the blow dryer on and he stops immediately. Same thing with the vacuum. By the way, my house is still clean...even with an infant; although I'll see how long that lasts once he becomes mobile.
• And when it's time for me to get chores done around the house or if I have to go to a store, the trusy Peanut Shell sling carrier will calm him down. He's now big enough to face outwards and he really enjoyed this the other night at Hobby Lobby.
• But what Mason really likes is to be kept moving. It's my own fault for getting him used to the rocking motion in utero (running while preggers)

Here It Is...

Mason's Room!

Here's the repurposed mantel complete with its own sock monkey sitting in the curtained frame. I made floor pillows from the giraffe minky (soooo soft!) and then made a lumbar pillow from the aqua silk and had "MASON" monogrammed on it. The lattice upholstery fabric was used for the window cornices and I found these shades on clearance at Bed Bath & Beyond. The upholstered glider is super-comfy and I propped my favorite vintage popcorn chenille throw over the back.

The windows give a view of the front yard and it's very sunny during the daytime. My neighbor across the street is working on finishing a lovely painting for the wallspace inbetween the windows.

Bookshelves were mandatory...for books, keepsake display items, and of course toys!Gigi painted our whimsied little rocking chair, the knobs on the dresser and the "MASON" letters over the crib all coordinate. She also sewed the matching diaper hanger which matches the crib bedding.
I use the changing dresser often (go figure!) so Gigi also handmade and meticulously handpainted Mason's Jungle Bug Mobile. Mason keeps occupied during changings just staring at his wild bugs.
Although he only uses it for day naps, here's Mason's crib. Gigi also antiqued the bookshelves, dresser, and crib to match and give a great rustic feel to the furniture.
This is the closet door view of the room. There's an old piece of molding with doorknobs that serves as a hanging plaque for a couple of Feltmann Brothers outfits (including Mason's "take home" romper) and a birth announcement is framed above the plaque.
Gigi also used some Pottery Barn Kids artwork as inspiration and painted some canvases so we have original artwork in a fun jungle theme.

I think Mason will enjoy his room for years to come...hope you enjoyed it as well!

Coming Soon

Although Mason's nursery has been in-use since he was born, I've waited to take pictures to share because while it's soveryclose to being finished, there was one wall space that needed to be "dressed."

Well last night I found the perfect mirror at Hobby Lobby ($20...it was 50% off) and wall hook ($2...also 50% off), so I'll be posting "final" pictures very soon. But I thought I'd share the project board and design prep that went into putting everything together.

This is my Design Book- I take mostly magazine and catalog pictures and cut and tape them in the book for design and color inspiration. I also sketch out the floor plan, furniture layout, and design ideas prior to buying pieces.

Nursery Layout

And from there, I determined my fabric choices so I know what colors I'll be working with (fabrics always before paint colors).

I decided to use the mantel that was already in the room (my fabric choices were actually inspired by this furniture piece). Then I bought the new baby furniture (with budget in mind of course):

Convertible Dropside Crib @ Target.com.....$125

Changing Dresser @ JC Penney.....$170

Bookshelves @ JC Penney.....$100

Dutailier Glider & Ottoman (a splurge!) @ Albee Baby.....$570

Rug @ Target.com.....$53

Here's a Project Board about 3/4 of the way through that shows how I started to put things together. Along with the "To Do List" at the time (bottom right).

And now it's finished, but I still need to take some decent photos during the day. So sit tight...they're coming soon!

My Little Bunny

Hoppy Easter!

Smiley Little Guy

The Easter Bunny visited Uncle Sean & Baby Mason
Mason's Easter Goodies

He was sooo happy this morning =)

The Cowboy's Life Is The Life For Me

All he needs is a cowboy hat and spurs. His horsey is already waiting for him in the nursery.

This outfit is a collaborative effort- bandana and burp rag made by Gigi, the top from Amy, jeans from Michelle, and the requisite cowboy boots from Bethany. He's all fixed up and ready to ride!

Here's a close-up of those adorable cowboy boots from Betty!

Monkeying Around

Yes, it's still a little early to use the Bumbo seat... ...but it makes for better pictures!

To Market, To Market

To market, to market, 'cause baby is big.
Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
To market, to market, and then for a jog.
Home again, Home again, diggety dog.
To market, to market, clothes don't cost a ton.
Home again, home again, market is done.

We had a fun, busy weekend and made it to Kids Market both Friday and Saturday (thank you Haley!) and found some great deals. Then, since it was a gorgeous day, we went for another jog at the park. I decided to invest in the BOB infant seat adapter so that we didn't have to wait to make use of our fancy stroller (otherwise we're not supposed to use it until 6-8 months for jogging). And we both win: Mason falls asleep and I use muscles that haven't been worked in months!

He's growing so fast...already wearing his 3-mo outfits.

Our Market finds...all for $15.
Sound asleep everytime.