Hello 2014, Goodbye 2013

We had a BIG year!!! It is hard to highlight just a few fun times this year, but here goes.

January 2013, We went from a family of 3 to a family of 4!!Welcome Baby Mason!February 2013, My brother finally got to meet his first nephew and both loved each other!We all got adjusted to our new life together.March 2013, Mason attended his first Razorback sporting event.  Baseball!Mason got baptized!April 2013, Our little family at the Spring football game.May 2013, Michael and I took our first trip away from Mason to Chicago.Mason had his first boating experience.June 2013, We got 5 generations of Sperry's together for a family photo.Mason got sick for the first time, after starting school for a week.July 2013, First Family Beach Vacation!!!My childhood friend’s fiancé asked me to be her bridesmaid. SUCH AN HONOR!! June 2014!!! Can’t wait. August 2013, We bought a new house and moved in.September 2013, Hiking to a waterfall. Mason did awesome and loved it.October 2013, My best friend and her family moved back to the mainland and came to visit! Mason loves Auntie Veronica!November 2013, Mason started Walking and getting into EVERYTHING!Mason also met Santa…I will call it a success.December 2013, Mason and Gabby got to play in the snow.Everyone had a wonderful Christmas together with our family.

Merry Christmas

I wanted to share our Christmas Card this year.  Everything seems a little different with Mason this year.  I hope everyone has had a great day.

Favorite Song

This is Mason’s favorite song and he always dances to it.  I shorten the video to my favorite 30 seconds.  It gets good at 20 sec mark.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!

Mason 11 Months

Doing the stickers is getting SO hard. I try to be sneaking but he is too smart for me. Here he says I see that you stuck something to my perfectly good shirt.Okay, lets take this off here Mom.Sticking it to the chair was even difficult. Michael is jumping up and down in the room to avoid Mason’s standing up to grab the 11.

Weight: He doesn’t have to go back to the doctor until next month, but my professional opinion says he weighs in at 23+lbs.  SO BIG.  I sometimes pick him up and he just feels SO heavy.  Because he is soooo heavy. It is great for the leg workout I get every time I take him up our stairs.   

Height: I feel like he recently has grown another inch or more.  His pants are starting to become high waters.

Clothes: Mason is wearing 12 month and 12-18 month clothing.  I need to go buy him some 18 month pjs.  I do feel like he was in 12 month clothing the longest which is good.  

Eats: We have started solid foods. He is a little bird and follows around anyone with food with his mouth open wide. I usually give him a bite of whatever I am eating. I have also started planning all my dinner around whether he can eat it or not. He loves bananas and oranges.  Any melons and pineapple.

Sleeps: We sleep now from 7-6:30. He has been waking up at night once. It is because he is cutting a molar. Yikes.  I can feel his poor swollen gums. I would really like it if that darn tooth would hurry up and cut.

What he is enjoying: Walking! Yes he is walking. At some point in the last month he began walking. He will take 10-15 steps by himself. He has started to pivot on one foot to turn around and he will let go of whatever he might be holding to get to you. Now if he wants to get somewhere fast…he is a speed demon in the crawling department. He loves following around Gabby and if his cousins are around he tries to keep up.  He loves playing at school. The director told me the other day that most kids his age just parallel play but that Mason actually plays with the other boys in his class. She also told me Mason is the pack leader. Well…can’t wait until I get told he is the troublemaker. 

Teeth: 6 teeth total with at least one molar trying to come in right now.

Talking: He says mama, dada, papa, and gah (which is gabby). He will get so excited and say Gah Gah a ton.  A few times it has come out Gabby but not quite there. 

Snowed In

We and most of the South got hit with a winter storm last week.  In my area we got about .5” of ice and 6” of snow.  That is some of the reports.  I will save all of you from my rant about how horrible this area is about clearing roads.  I have been trapped in my house for 5 days!!! AHHHH!!! Michael left this house this morning and went to work…jealous! He said the roads were bad, just a big sheet of ice. No fun! So, what’s a family to do when they are trapped in the house.  Watch LOTS of movies, and take our almost 1 year old outside for a total of 10 minutes to basically get pictures of him with his first snow.

Yesterday, we were going so stir crazy, but luckily my in laws and niece and nephews came over to play. Thankful for the change in scenery. The kids had a blast and Mason had fun just watching everyone play.  Soon kiddo, very soon you can chase after them.  He is a fast crawler, but it is hard to keep up with two 2 yrs olds that ran around squealing.  They were loud,  but having SO much fun.

Friday morning, when Mason woke up…we took him to the window to see the snow.  He was screaming and banging on the window. Gabby was also VERY excited to see the snow.We put Mason in his snow suit and decided to take him outside, while it was still snowing. He didn’t really care for the coat. He acted about how Gabby acts when we put her in an outfit…stiff.He acted so funny out in the snow.Trying to figure out what this white stuff is on the ground.Gabby was in doggie heaven. We didn’t get a big snow last year, so she would just run and run chasing snowflakes.The snow was coming down hard.The front of our house snowing.  I had to get this.  I thought the snow was so pretty. My candy canes are almost buried.Our attempt at sledding with Mason.  It was funny.  Notice Gabby running.Mason watching Gabby from inside the house.This is the only shot I got while the in laws were over.  Isn’t it the sweetest picture EVER?! This is my niece and nephew doing some snuggling on the couch. This sweet girl is never going to have a boy hurt her with 3 boys cousins.  She may even hate them for their protective-ness. 

Sleep jumping

This is entertainment for me. Mason was jumping and playing away and I was sitting in the floor with him. All of the sudden he just closes his eyes...but continues to jump.  I tried to pick him up and he opened his eyes wide and started jumping hard. I sat back down and he started falling asleep again, so I decided to take this video. Hope it brings a smile to your face.

Thanksgiving Round Up

What melts a mama’s heart more…When her big brother comes in town to visit and her little boy just loves him again.  They don’t see each other very often, so I always hope that Mason isn’t afraid of him.  He was instantly interested in his Uncle Eric. He was smiling and giggling and had so much fun with him.  Now he will be back for Christmas and I am sure it will be more of the same.

This is Mason in his highchair after eating his Thanksgiving dinner.  He was ready for a nap, just like the rest of us. Our Thanksgiving day was interesting.  About 30 minutes before our food was ready our electricity went out.  Panic.  We ran to my brother’s house to see if his electricity was out. He has a house close to my parents.  His was out too.  So, what do we do, but go to the liquor store.  Luckily, it was back on in an hour and so we ate at 1:00 instead of 12:30.Thanksgiving food is SOOOOO Good!!After lunch, I put Mason down for a nap and then what happens…our electricity goes out again.  What to do…what to do? Play a nice game of family Risk.  We played this a lot when in high school. I played with my brother and his friends and I played with my friends. Fun times!Mason woke up from his nap and so we had to teach him how to play. Teach them young. I should add that I won…hehe! The key is always Australia.Trouble trouble trouble!!! TV is going on the wall. We have been looking for a new media console for our living room since we moved in and that’s why the TV isn’t on the wall yet.This is how Thanksgiving weekend ended. I ran out of diapers and ran to Target. When I walked in with these boxes, Mason went crazy for them. Can’t wait for him to open his toys at Christmas and play with the boxes.

Mason’s First Santa…

I took Mason to visit Santa.  I thought it would be a good test.  It started out good. I was sneaking when I sat him in his lap.  We waved at Santa and then I backed him up. Mason was more interested in Mrs. Claus.I think this shot is adorable. This is when things got interesting. He was like…who is this guy. I love that Santa is looking at him too.This is his…okay where is my mama!!

Entryway

I made this garland the other evening.  I thought I would share.  It was super easy to make.  I am in the mood for Christmas. I know most people hate when other people decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but I don’t care.  I have only done the inside of the house.  The outside will be done after Thanksgiving.

All you need is Work Garland, deco mesh (3 different kinds), and ornaments.  I purchased all the items from Hobby Lobby in two different aisles.  The deco mesh and work garland are in the same aisle.  I had never heard of work garland (I know, what rock was I living under).  But I Googled had to make it and Work Garland it is.  BTW right now, Hobby Lobby has Christmas 50% off (this is basically every week).  I saw a similar garland at Sam’s Club last weekend and I spent half.  Fun!

We are in Trouble…

He looks oh so sweet and innocent.  BUT…this is a troublemaker.  What…I am not doing anything wrong here.Where the Gabby girl goes the boy is sure to follow!Eating eggs and cheerios and pancakes.Sharing with the Gabby girl.Finding new hiding spots.Totally not doing anything over here…go about your way.

Here is a fun video to share…Dancing baby.