Here are just a few slices of life with Matthew...the theme of this post is "discovery" for sure!
Discovery 1: Raspberries + Baby Food = Sheer Hilarity
He still spends a ton of time each day blowing raspberries. He has advanced his technique: His latest discovery is doing it with baby food in his mouth. He thinks it's hilarious; we are trying to curb the carrot spew coming our way at dinnertime! Hit the deck, folks.
Discovery 2: The "g" sound
The other day, he was exploring the "g" sound. As his mother, I find this to be quite advanced (of course I do! He's the smartest kid ever!), as Margie told us that most kids his age start with "m," "d," and "b." Although, he's already doing the "m's" so technically, the "g" is his second consonantal discovery.
Discovery 3: Sneezing
He'll sneeze, and once the sneeze is over, he looks at me kind of stunned, pauses, and then emits this happy belly laugh. Cracks himself up. I think he likes the way sneezing feels. Or sounds.
Discovery 4: Beware Scissor-Wielding Korean Women
Matthew had his first haircut today. Sun, his barber at the Hair Cuttery in Olney, was the most gracious and skilled of scissor-wielding Korean women trying to tame the fluffy hair of a wriggly, terrified eleven-month old. Matthew completely freaked out and screamed the whole time. I got it all on camera. This is one for the lifebook, folks.
Discovery 5: Coughing
He has discovered how to make himself cough. I swear he coughs just to cough, not because he necessarily NEEDS to cough. He looks at me all serious and goes "eh eh" (he will be a terrible poker player).
Discovery 6: Crawling Gets You There Faster Than Creeping
He is the Lightning McQueen of Speed when crawling. Belly is completely off the floor now (creeping days are over...too slow). He's still not walking but showing definite signs that it'll probably happen very, very soon.
Discovery 7: His Own Voice
He is so much more verbal than he was in the beginning. He is babbling away, almost nonstop, and he has this deep bass tone that makes me wonder if it's really coming from the mouth of a babe. That being said, it is wonderfully sweet to hear.
Discovery 8: All Things Electronic
Remotes, phones, my netbook, Jeff's Mac laptop, and the list goes on--if it's electronic, he wants to play with it. Is this a boy thing?
Discovery 9: Jupiter
Oh, dear. He has finally realized that Jupiter is a living, breathing plaything and can be poked in the eyes, grabbed on the nose, pulled on the tail, etc. We are working on "gentle touches" and teaching him to pet Jupiter on the back and stay away from his face (although Jupiter has been nothing but sweet and indulging of Matthew's explorations, and of course we are always right there, supervising).
Discovery 10: The Chariot
We finally were able to start getting outside when we had those couple of weeks of nice weather in January. Matthew loves riding in his stroller (which is a mac-daddy stroller-to-end-all-strollers that was passed down to us from our friends; they dubbed it The Chariot, so we are continuing the tradition). Matthew and Jupiter and I have gone for many a chariot walk through the neighborhood (when we don't have 3 feet of snow, that is, and when people clear their darn sidewalks!!!). He frequently falls asleep (Matthew, that is; Jupiter is busy sniffing everything in sight). The Chariot, which turns on a dime and rides smooth as butter, is a mom's sanity check, best friend, and meltdown manager.
Discovery 11 (Just Because I Don't Want to Stop at 10 Like Everyone Else Does): Avocadoes
He likes "the good fat"! Hooray! And I even made them fresh for him. What a mom I am, huh?!?
Discovery 12 (Because I Just Thought of One More): Right Hand + Bathwater = Big Splash
Need I say more? We get soaked on bath nights, but the sheer joy of his smile makes it all worth it. This kid loves the water!
For everyone who is also dealing with the 2+ feet of snow we got socked with here in the Mid-Atlantic region, stay safe as you continue digging out. Just in time for tomorrow's predicted Winter Storm Warning. Wow, I will be so happy to see spring show us its warm, shining face. Of course, just in time for me to go back to work!
I go back March 8. Just a few more weeks. I can't believe how quickly it's passing. Trying to savor each delicious moment with Matthew before life changes yet again...
Peace out.
