Happy Belated Birthday, Daddy!

We love you!!!

21 Months

It's hard to believe this guy is rapidly approaching 2!  But hang out with him, and you'd be surprised he isn't 2 yet!  He talks very clearly, communicates with ease, loves laughing, playing, and imposing his will on you.  If he wants to do something, well, good luck telling him no and having him listen.

This kid is like clockwork.  Naptime is guaranteed around 1.  Bedtime is at 8, and waking up is unfortunately between 5:15 and 5:45.  I so wish I had kids that liked to sleep in!

Matthew brings so much joy, loves cuddling, and loves his big brother!

20 Months

May 22nd marked 20 months!  This picture pretty much sums everything up...the kid is into everything!

19 Months

We are rapidly approaching 20 months, so I figured I better hurry up and get 19 months recorded!

Matthew continues to be a little angel.  He loves eating, insists on feeding himself most foods and loves milk.  He is very independent and one of his favorite things to say is "Baby do" or "Matthew do."

He is definitely a rough and tumble kid, as evidenced by the bruise on his head.  I swear, the kid knows no fear and is a daredevil.

He is going through a shy period, even with family and friends he sees regularly.  It usually will take him about 5 minutes or so to warm up.  And once he warms up, boy oh boy is he a chatterbox!

Matthew loves his brother and wants to be doing whatever it is William is doing.  And, he isn't afraid to voice his frustration if a toy is taken away or if he wants something.  The kid has got a set of lungs!

18 Months

Weight: 28.8 lbs (75%)

Height: 32.5" (50%)

I'm like a broke record every month, saying the same thing over and over, but it's so true, I really don't know how time is going so quickly!

This little man is developing by leaps and bounds and apparently we aren't the only one who is surprised by it.  With our 18 month well-child checkup, Dr. Shifrin couldn't believe that Matthew was (1) sleeping through the night; (2) had no eating/drinking issues; (3) was playing make believe; (4) as vocal as he is and stringing together 4 word sentences (I gave the example of "Momma, where are you?"; (5) no carseat problems; and (6) starting to show interest in the potty.  Really though, I can't get over what a chatterbox Matthew is and so observant of the world around him.  Plus, it's a reminder to watch what is said around the boys because Matthew is also a little parrot and mimic of what is going on around him.

Kelsey Creek Park Fun

Ojai

It is hard to believe it's been over a month since we went to Ojai!  And, we almost didn't make it.  I got hit with the flu bug and was down for the count.  The night before we were to leave, I told Jon that there just wasn't any way I could get on an airplane feeling the way I felt and that it would take a miracle.  Well, our miracle came and was encouraged by the fact that it would cost us to cancel the flights.

I am so happy I forced myself onto that flight.  The Ojai sunshine was exactly what we all needed!  The boys were boogery, and it took me a couple of days to start feeling normal, but it was great just relaxing and enjoying each others company.  We enjoyed adventures to the park, the beach, and strolling through town.  We can't wait to return!

17 Months

I am WAY behind on updating the blog!  It's hard to find the time these days.  It is extremely rare that both boys are down for a nap at the same time!

Matthew has pretty much done away with his morning nap.  And, his afternoon nap is typically 1.5 hours.

He is such a fun loving kid though and likes to be in on the action.  Matthew is a very vocal boy, talking up a storm.  He loves playing with his brother, and is quick to screams in displeasure if William takes away a toy or there is a toy that he wants and can't reach.  Matthew loves eating.  I swear he would eat all day if we let him.  And, he prefers drinking through a straw versus a sippy cup.  He's a total cuddle bug, and loves to be held.

Fanfest 2013

We bundled up the boys and headed to Fanfest!  This was our second year, and are hoping to make it an annual occurrence.  We had fun running the bases, checking out the clubhouse, and walking around the stadium.

16 Months

Matthew is such a fun-loving kid!  There is definitely never a dull moment.  He's constantly on the heels of his brother, trying to copy William's every move.  He is a non-stop chatter-box and every few words is a word I can recognize (ie Momma, Nana, brother, juice, dinosaur, Dadda, toes, shoes, num, uh-huh, up, picture, cheese, ball, and pooh-poohs).  It's a lot of trying to guess what it is he's saying, which can be frustrating for both of us sometimes.  He loves roughhousing with William, which leads to my yelling "stop it, William you're going to hurt him."  Really though, Matthew has no problem holding his own.  And our house is not quite!  Both boys are non-stop shrieking with delight and laughing.

Bath time is a favorite.  And Matthew loves brushing his teeth.  He wants to be right alongside his brother.  When William is in the bathroom, Matthew wants to be right there too, on the heat register with a book though.

I wish I could say he's sleeping through the night.  We had a bit of a set back with some heavy chest congestion/coughing, so when he woke up in the middle of the night, I would go check to make sure he was doing okay.  It's a two time a night thing, usually 3:30 and 5:30.  I so miss my sleep and hoping now that he's starting to feel better, the sleep gets better as well.

Matthew is very musical.  He loves signing, dancing, and playing the piano or drums at Nana's.  And, he's very good.  The kid's got rhythm!  And, I think he might be left-handed.  He was caught doodling on a piece of paper, and he was using his left-hand.

Oh, and a daredevil!  This kid knows no fear!

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner at Nana & Grandpa's.

Merry Christmas!

Unbelievably, the boys slept in!  Boomie and Papa were set to come over bright and early before heading up to Bellingham.  Naturally, Jon rolled over, looked at the clock and said, "My parents are going to be here any minute!"  The boys did wake up, and were forced to wait at the top of the stairs before heading down to see if the street sweeper William asked for and horse for Matthew had been delivered.  The look and excitement from both was such a joy to watch.  This truly is my favorite time of year!

Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve was celebrated at Boomie and Papa's!  The boys had tons of fun playing and opening gifts.

Thank you, Buddy!

Buddy our house elf was quite the house guest over the holidays.  He stayed out of trouble, and even brought the boys their own special ornaments!  William a garbage truck and Matthew a dinosaur.  William was very concerned on the 26th when he couldn't find Buddy.  We had to explain to him that Buddy went home and will be back again for next Christmas.

Museum of Flight

We love when Daddy takes off work, and this time we decided to really do something special...a trip to the Museum of Flight.  Both boys wore their bomber jackets, and William has decided he would like to become an astronaut.

Snowflake Lane!

Well, we had planned on seeing Santa on a Sunday, but failed to check what his hours were.  Naturally, we showed up 20 minutes after he was closed.  Way to go us!  But, we still decided to make an adventure out of our trip to the mall.  We enjoyed dinner at Nordstroms Cafe, did a little shopping at the Disney Store, and took in Snowflake Lane.  Snowflake lane was a little chilly, so we didn't stay long, but the boys loved it!