The 411

I tried posting this over the weekend, but our internet was getting fixed and it wouldn't let me save it and then I lost it.  Dang computers.  But we're good now!

So here's the latest stats on Mason at 15 months (now almost 16 months):

32 inches tall (72%)
22.2 lbs (15%)
46 cm head circumference (16%)

So he's tall and skinny! Who would've guessed? The skinny part is because he was just getting over a cold and ear infection and 2 molars coming in.  He is definitely getting back on track with the eating, which Woei and I are so thrilled with.  He eats between 2 and 4 bananas a day! He certainly is a monkey!

Here are some more Mason tidbits:

• Can say "ball," "mama," "dada," "dog-dog," "uh-oh" (a lot), "hi" and has just started "no no," which Woei and I are sooo thrilled about.  He actually started saying it to Tucker when Tucker gets one of his toys.  He says "no no" and holds up his little finger and shakes it.  Hilarious! But now he says it to us, too, when he doesn't want to do something.  Not so funny.  And forget it if I ever see that little finger shaking at me! He won't have a finger to shake!! I'm just kidding.  I wouldn't do that.  But I won't like it, that's for sure.  But he definitely understands more than he can say...which kind of weirds us out. 

• He can say some animal sounds and we're still working on some more.  He can say the sound for snake, dog, sometimes cat, monkey (but he says uh-oh instead of ooh-ohh, ahh-ahh), owl, and he did cow the other day.

• He can wave bye-bye and when we say are going to sleep, he'll wave bye-bye to daddy and Tucker to say good-night.  And now he likes to give Tucker his treat when we leave in the morning.  He's becoming obsessed a little bit and just wants to give Tucker a treat whenever.  Tucker sure doesn't mind, but we have to keep an eye on it or else Tucker will become a little porky!

• He's quite the walker these days and doesn't run yet, but, like I told the doctor, he's got a little get-up to his step.

• He has 8 teeth in front (4 on top and bottom) and just got 2 molars on top in the back (of course).  He worked really hard for those and they're still coming in.  So we're glad that's over with for now. 

• He's quite the little dancer and he's got some good moves, too.  Sometimes he'll even start dancing when there's no music or if we're in a store and he hears music, he'll just stop walking and start dancing.  It's quite funny.

• He's starting to use a spork (a fork and spoon combined - just in case you weren't sure) when he eats and he actually likes to have one now at every meal.  He's still getting used to using them and he's not the greatest, but practice makes perfect, right? If he's really hungry, he might try to use it, but then he just gives up and starts shoving the food in his mouth.  But if Woei and I help him, he really likes to eat with one.  It makes him feel special.

• He can blow kisses and has just started to give kisses.  He'll purse his little lips together and start leaning his head forward and hums (as if he's going "mwaw," without the "waw" part).  He doesn't quite have his aim down yet - usually I end up just giving him a kiss on the forehead.  But it's the thought that counts and it's what melts my heart.  He'll give hugs every once in a while, too. 

All in all, he's quite a funny little guy and such a sweetie.  We have so much fun with him and I've heard people talk about how right now is the best time with them and they have so much fun.  And I have to say I agree.  As he gets older and older and develops more, it just amazes us and we are having a blast!

Thanks for listening! We'll be back soon!

Christmas Vacation

I figured for this post I'd let the pictures do the talking.  Enjoy!

At the Christmas party at daycare.

Did NOT like Santa and Mrs. Clause this year.  I like Mrs. Clause's face.

At the Big-Family Christmas on Christmas Eve.  He's wondering what Eric's doing singing into his mic. 

Playing with Aunt Kris and cousins Eric and Carson.

Opening gifts that Santa brought early.  He really liked the laptop (thanks Aunt Jane!)

The Cousins Family photo - Eric, Amelia (holding Mason), Quinn and Carson.  We were missing some this year, but hey, you work with what ya' got.

Christmas morning! Always has a ball in hand...

He liked sitting on the presents more than tearing into them.  Maybe next year he'll be more enthused.

Tucker boy gets his Christmas present...

...he even opens it himself.  "Oh boy, a toy I can rip to shreds in 5 minutes!"

Mason on his presents...

Playing with his new car ramp racer thingamajig.

So I guess we should've just gotten him an empty box and wrapped it.  This actually kept him entertained for a good 10 minutes, which in Mason time is like an hour.  Here he's reading his book he got from Remy - thanks Remy!!

Pushing his new shopping cart.

Snow time! We were lucky enough this year to have a white Christmas, so that meant getting decked out to go play for the first time.  Here he is with mommy getting all bundled up.  He kept taking off his gloves the second I'd get them on.  It was maddening.  All I kept thinking about was that if he didn't keep his gloves on outside, in like 5 seconds he'd get hypothermia.  I'm a little paranoid, I know.

But he managed to keep them on once we were outside.  He looks happy here, but he really was a little distraught.  Once we set him down in the snow, he just kind of stood there and didn't move.  And heaven forbid if he got snow on his gloves! That's thanks to daddy's OCD! Thanks dad!

Daddy and Mason in the snow! See? What'd I tell ya'? Distraught.

Daddy made him a mini snowman.  Here he is checking it out.  I think he liked it because it looked like three balls stacked up (which is exactly what a snowman is, I know, but Mason's obsessed with balls.  He wasn't seeing the bigger picture is what I'm sayin'.).

Christmas Day evening at Grandma and Papa's! Oh my gosh, another stuffed animal!!! He's also obsessed with stuffed animals and Uncle Shane and Aunt Brittany get him the best ones, like this giant stuffed bear. 

Surrounded by his toys! He was extra good this year!

Here with Grandma Linda, Grandma B and Papa. 

Here with Uncle Shane and Aunt Brittany.  He was a little squirmy...

Here with Mommy and Daddy.

Helping Aunt Brittany, Uncle Shane and Papa sort coins before they play a game.

The Lam Fam Christmas 2010 photo.

Happy New Year!!

All in all, it was a great Christmas and New Years.  We spent a lot of quality family time together and couldn't have asked for a better holiday.  We hope you all had a great one, too, and look forward to what this New Year brings.  We'll be back soon with updates as we have a certain 15-month checkup coming up this week.  Yippee!

MIA

Okay, okay, so we've been MIA for a little while.  It's been a little busy lately and then the holidays hit and all efforts to keep the blog updated just got blown to smithereens.  But, alas, we've returned!

I'll kind of pick up the slack from November to fill you in so far.  We had a BIG milestone in November that I didn't get a chance to post about at the time.   But Mason went and got his first.....HAIRCUT! Yay! And let me tell ya' - it (his hair) was quite the monstrosity.  I look back now at his baby hairstyle and, while I was sentimental about cutting off those first strands of hair, I realize it was for the best.  Homeboy was sportin' a mullet and it was gettin' a little out of control!

He was fine until they put the drape around his neck and then the tears and the biggest pouty face he could muster came.  (I have a picture to prove it - see below).  The chair in the shape a car with a working steering wheel and a kids movie playing right in front of him did nothing to abate the inevitable.  Even cheerios didn't do too much.  They might've stopped the tears for a few seconds, but he knew what was happening and he didn't like it.  Luckily, we went to a place that sort of specializes in little kids haircuts, so the lady was fast and didn't get too daunted by the crying and wailing.  Then it was over and he looked like quite the handsome guy.  And now, it's starting to grow out again and we may need to return in the next coming weeks!

Then came Thanksgiving and that was a great time.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with our whole family and my green bean casserole rocked! I love Campbell's.  And then we headed off for another first adventure - Bennett Springs! Woei and I had started our own holiday tradition a few years ago.  From the Friday after Thanksgiving to Sunday, we head down to a cabin at Bennett Springs, Lebanon, MO to just relax and be peaceful for a few days.  It's usually too cold to fish, so we just hang out, watch movies (because this is one of the only few places down there that has a working tv with cable and a dvd player) and then head up to the Lake for some holiday shopping.  We didn't go last year, of course, because Mason was too little and I had to go back to work, but this year we decided to start going again and include Mason in this little Lam Fam tradition.  Everything was going great - Mason did fine travelling and the cabin was fine for just the three of us (well, four, if you count Tucker).  Then Saturday was shopping day and everything was on schedule.  Then, literally, as we were packing up and getting socks and shoes on, Mason tripped and fell and whacked his eye on the edge of the cooler that was on the floor.  Then came the crying.  Then came the blood.  Then came the "oh, crap, that might need stitches."  Then came, "aaaand we're going home now to go the hospital and Bennett Springs is done until next year!" Yep, Mason got a small cut on his eye that was opened up just enough to possibly need stitches.  He zonked out for his nap time soon after and we called the doctor's exchange and they said it was possible, but they'd need to see him.  Given that it was right near his eye and that we were in the middle of timbuktoo, we decided to call it quits and head straight to Children's to get it looked at.  He slept on the way, I fretted, Woei drove with Tucker glued to his lap and after only an hour in the hospital (seriously, start to finish), he only needed "the glue" to protect it and we went home and collapsed in a heap.

So, Mason now has a battle wound near his left eye, but it's not that big and it's kind of near the crease of his eye, so it kind of blends in.  When he smiles you really can't tell.  And in a way, it was kind of good that we got back a day early to kind of get settled in and relax before we started work again. 

Well, I think I'll stop there for now.  Christmas will be it's own long post with pictures.  Stay tuned!

Here's a pic from the haircut incident:

Check out that FACE! I love it!